Unexpected Developments
by KimmyD
Summary: Nancy travels to Bayport to visit Frank, and to attend Joe and Vanessa's wedding. She has startling news to share, but that's soon overshadowed by an ominous threat to stop the wedding and possibly end Vanessa's life. Sequel to Presumed Guilty.
1. Chapter 1: Nancy's Arrival

Title: Unexpected Developments (Working title only)

Author: OleMissGal

Disclaimers: Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are not mine. I'm just using them to amuse myself, and hopefully others. I'll relinquish them when I'm done. The characters are copyrights of The Stratemeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster.

Summary: Nancy Drew travels to Bayport to see her boyfriend, Frank Hardy, and to attend Joe Hardy and Vanessa Bender's wedding. Nancy has some startling news, that is all to soon overshadowed by a threat to stop the wedding, and possibly end Vanessa's life.

As Nancy Drew stepped off of the plane and into the jet way, her nervousness increased dramatically. This was her first trip to New York since she and Frank Hardy had become a couple two months earlier. He had visited her once in Chicago since the messy breakup and subsequent case involving Ned. She wasn't nervous at the prospect of spending the weekend with Frank, it was what she had to tell him that scared her to death.

The end of the jet way was in sight and Nancy valiantly fought back the tears and plastered a smile on her face. As she stepped out into the terminal, she took one look around the bustling airport and managed a genuine smile. It felt great to be back in New York; she had always loved the city that never slept. Nancy was excited at the few things that she and Frank planned on doing, after his younger brother Joe's wedding the following night.

The airport billboard signs showcased marketing for new Broadway shows, one of which Frank had gotten tickets for. Passing the posters, she took a quick detour into the ladies restroom to check her appearance. She sat her carry on bag on the counter and sighed at her reflection in the mirror. Nancy pulled out her brush and ran it quickly through her strawberry blond hair. A quick swipe of lipstick and she was back out into the packed terminal.

Making her way down the long terminal of JFK Airport, Nancy reflected on the past two months that she had shared with Frank. The most prominent memory was when he admitted that he loved her that night at the bar. She had been thrilled beyond belief, when he had finally uttered those words. Now, it was a daily occurrence to hear them, but it still didn't make them any less special.

A cheerful masculine voice shouting her name, broke her out of her reverie. She looked ahead and saw Frank's tall, lean frame waving at her from across the security checkpoint. 'You can do this, Drew' she told herself, shifting her bag from one hand to the other. Waving back, she weaved through the throngs of people to get to Frank.

Before she could even set her bag down, he had enveloped her in a bear hug. Frank crushed her against him and whispered in her ear, "God, I've missed you."

Nancy pulled back slightly as she looked up into his handsome face. "I've missed you, too," she said sincerely. She stretched up brushed her lips against his, in a soft kiss hello.

Frank took the bag out of Nancy's hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. He directed them to the escalator that led to the luggage carousels. "Tired?" he asked her, noting the look on her face.

Nancy nodded yes. "I was up at four a.m. to catch the early flight. And the baby crying in the seat behind me, made sure that I didn't get any sleep on the plane," she grinned ruefully.

"Well, you have plenty of time to rest before the rehearsal dinner tonight," Frank reminded her. "We don't have to be at the church until six tonight."

Turning her head to glance at him, Nancy raised her eyebrows in question. "You're forgetting about the lunch that your mother and Aunt Gertrude have planned for the girls today."

"That's right," Frank replied. "Well, you can still get in a nap before we have to be at my folk's house, or you can rest after the lunch."

Stopping in front of the luggage carousel for her flight, Nancy grinned at him and shook her head, "The only way that you're going to let me nap is if you leave the house."

Frank blushed and dropped a kiss on top of her head. "Can't blame a guy," he laughed.

Nancy shook her head in amusement, but it was true. On his last trip to Chicago, she and Frank spent more time in the apartment, than outside of it. Not that she minded, of course. However, today she was in dire need of a few hours of sleep.

The buzzer sounded and luggage began to appear on the conveyer belt. As the crowd rushed forward to claim their bags, Nancy spotted hers almost immediately. "How's that for lucky?" she grinned. "First bag out." She moved forward to grab the bag when she felt Frank's hand on her arm.

He shook his head and walked over to the carousel to retrieve her luggage for her. He deftly grabbed the moving bag and made his way back through the crowd. "Just this one?" he asked.

"That's all," Nancy responded. She double checked the tag to make sure it was really her bag, and then picked up her carry on once more. It was promptly taken from her hand again, and slung over Frank's shoulder.

"Always the gentleman," she teased, watching him shift the carry on and get a grip on her suitcase.

Grinning back, Frank replied, "Anything for you."

During the car ride to Frank's apartment on Long Island, Nancy had chatted with Frank about a myriad of topics as she gazed out the window at the passing scenery. She marveled in the beauty of the ocean and the quaint towns that littered the landscape.

After a long moment of silence, Frank reached over and touched Nancy's hand. "Nan," he asked, "are you okay?"

"Hmm?" she responded absentmindedly, taking in the beauty of their surroundings.

Frank laughed lightly as he repeated his question. "I asked if you were okay. You seem to be lost in your own little world over there."

"Just thinking," she replied, turning to flash him a dazzling smile.

"About?" he prompted.

"I'm sorry, Frank," Nancy told him. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

Frank glanced at her quizzically before focusing his attention back on the road. "Care to share?" he inquired.

Nancy sighed and turned her head to look back out the window. "Not right now," she admitted.

Squeezing her hand, Frank reigned in his desire to press her for more information. He had discovered recently when something was bothering her, that she would open up to him when she was ready to talk. "Well, whenever you want to talk about it, I'm ready to listen," he reminded her.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, squeezing his hand in return. She turned to face him once more and smiled, "You're too good to me." She shook her head slightly to clear the thoughts that were clouding her mind. Deciding to change the subject she raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, do I need to be worried about Joe's bachelor party tonight?"

Frank laughed and told her, "Not a chance. I might come stumbling home at three in the morning, but that's the only thing you need to be worried about. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about Vanessa's party tonight. I overhead Joe complaining to her that if Callie could hire a stripper for her party, he should be able to have one at his."

Chuckling in response Nancy said, "Sounds like something your brother would say." She cocked her head in question. "You got him one anyway, didn't you?"

Frank momentarily lifted his hands off the steering wheel in mock protest. "Guilty as charged. But I will say in my defense, it was the only way to get him to stop complaining about it."

"Sure, Hardy," Nancy teased.

Just then, Frank made a left hand turn off of the main road and onto a side street. The small neighborhood was comprised of mostly condos and townhouses, with Frank's being one of them. As he turned into the driveway, he pressed the button on the remote garage door opener and announced, "Home, sweet home."

Once the car was parked, Frank jumped out and retrieved her bags from the trunk. He guided her towards the door leading into the house and opened it for her.

"Wow," Nancy said, stepping into the beautiful condominium. She glanced around the sparkling kitchen, which afforded her a view into the spacious living room and said, "I'm impressed so far."

Frank stepped in front of her and motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour."

Nancy stopped momentarily in the quaintly decorated living room to look out at the small backyard. Trees were scattered around the tiny space, but it still resembled a real backyard, not a few squares of grass. A patio housed a few chairs, a small table, and of course, a grill.

She continued on, following Frank down a narrow hallway. He paused and opened the first door on the left. "This is the office," he told her.

"You should call it your library instead," Nancy joked. Frank had always been a voracious reader and the books that lined bookshelf after bookshelf reiterated that fact.

"It needs a fireplace and some leather winged back chairs to be called that," he laughed.

Shutting the door, he moved to the right of the hallway and opened the second door. "Guest bedroom." The room was light and airy, housing only a bed, small dresser, and night stand.

"So this is where I'll be bunking for the weekend, huh?" she grinned.

Frank shot her a mock dirty look and replied, "Not a snowball's chance in hell, Drew."

Nancy reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Calm down. You know I was just teasing."

"You'd better be," he grinned, smoothing away a stray piece of hair from her forehead. Turning away, he motioned to the last door at the end of the hallway. "That's the guest bath there," he informed her. He turned around and led her back into the living room. A staircase was situated at the front of the room, directly opposite the front door.

When the reached the top of the landing, Nancy marveled at how much larger the house was on the inside than it had seemed from the outside. There was a large alcove to the right of the stairs that housed a entertainment center with a comfortable looking couch. "I spend most of my time up here," he said. "That's why the t.v. and all are up here instead of the living room."

"It's cozy," she commented as she followed him back across the landing and into the large master bedroom. "I wish my bedroom was this big," she complained, glancing around the large space. The room was tastefully decorated with a decidedly masculine flair, but it also seemed very inviting. Two doors, one leading to a bathroom and the other to a large walk-in closet were on the left wall. Expansive French doors were on the far wall, that led to a fair sized balcony.

"Jealous now?" he teased. "Wait until you take a peek at the bathroom." He pointed to a door on the left side of the room and waited for her reaction at seeing the space.

It didn't take Nancy long to return to the bedroom and say incredulously, "A jacuzzi tub?" She marched over to the bed and sat down with a dazzling grin. "That's it, I'm not leaving this room."

Frank walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "Now that sounds like a plan," he murmured, his lips meeting hers in a searing kiss.

Softly moaning at the contact, Nancy pressed closer to him. With his lips still pressed to hers, Frank shook his head and reluctantly untangled himself from her arms. "As much as I want to continue this, you said that you wanted to take a nap, remember?"

Desire coursing through her veins Nancy sighed in defeat. "I probably should," she admitted. Smiling at him coyly she asked, "Nap with me?"

"I'll lay down with you until you fall asleep," Frank agreed. "I need to run to the shop and pick up my tuxedo for tomorrow. I'll do that while you nap."

"Fair enough," Nancy replied, stifling a yawn. She crawled up to the top of the bed and punched a pillow before laying her head down.

Frank stood, only to return a few seconds later with a blanket. He covered Nancy and then laid down beside her. She snuggled close and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Dropping a kiss of her forehead he whispered, "I love you."

Sighing in contentment she replied sleepily, "Love you, too."

It didn't take long for Nancy to fall asleep. As soon as Frank was sure that she wouldn't wake up, he gently removed his arm and rearranged the blanket across her sleeping form. Quietly, he made his way down the stairs to retrieve her bags from the kitchen. As he picked up her bags, he heard her cell phone ringing in her purse.

Frank made the quick decision to answer it, knowing that it could very well be work calling for an assignment, even though she was technically taking a long weekend off. He fished the phone out of the purse and pressed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Nancy Drew, please," a professional sounding female voice came over the line.

"She's actually taking a nap right now. May I ask who's calling?" Frank replied.

The voice on the other end laughed slightly. "This is Sherry from Dr. Walter's office. I'm just calling to confirm her appointment for Tuesday morning at 9 am."

"Okay," Frank answered, making a mental note of the message. He wondered absently what the person on the other end found so funny about Nancy napping. He glanced up at the clock and noted that it was nine forty- five Eastern time, which made it only eight forty-five in Chicago. Napping at that time of the morning did sound kind of ridiculous he thought.

The voice broke Frank out of his scattered thoughts. "Don't worry dear, the fatigue will go away by the end of this trimester."

"Trimester?" Frank managed to choke out in shock.

"I know, it does seem like a long time, but pregnancy takes a lot of energy out of a person. It, like the other symptoms, will pass soon enough. Don't forget to remind her of her appointment," the kind voice informed him.

"I won't," Frank said weakly. "Thank you." He quickly disconnected the call and sagged back against the kitchen counter. 'Pregnant?' he thought incredulously. 'Nancy's pregnant?' 'I can't believe she hasn't told me,' he thought angrily. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he berated himself. He instantly remembered her somber mood earlier. She was obviously waiting to tell him, so that they could concentrate on the wedding festivities before she dropped the bombshell.

Frank ran a hand over his face and sighed. He wanted to run upstairs and wake her up and talk to her, but he decided to let her rest. In a haze, Frank grabbed his car keys and cell phone off the counter and headed to the garage.


	2. Chapter 2: Brothers in Crisis

A half hour later, Frank was at the local formal wear shop to pick up his tuxedo. He walked up to the counter and gave his name to the clerk. Waiting for the clerk to return with his garment bag, Frank's mind was still in a fog when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder from behind.

Startled, Frank jumped slightly and then turned around and stared into the smiling face of his younger brother, Joe.

"Someone's off in la-la land," Joe commented sarcastically.

"Yeah, well..." Frank trailed off. "What are you doing here?"

"Forgot my shoes," he answered simply. "What's going on?" Joe asked concerned. "Nancy did make it out here, right?" He very rarely saw his brother so distracted that he let someone sneak up on him. 'Something big must be bugging him', he thought.

Frank nodded distractedly and answered, "She's here. She's at the house taking a nap. Her flight left at six this morning, so she's pretty tired."

Joe raised his eyebrows at Frank's explanation. "You guys didn't have a fight, did you?"

"No. Why?" Frank countered.

"You just seem pretty out of it. Not your normal googly-eyed self that you are whenever she's around. What gives?" Joe retorted.

Frank sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. He knew that he shouldn't be talking to Joe about the information he received earlier, without talking to Nancy first. But, he also knew that Joe wouldn't betray his confidence and would help him sort through his emotions and figure out how to tell Nancy that he was aware of her secret. "Do you have time for a cup of coffee?" he asked.

Joe glanced at his watch before replying. "Sure. I just have few more errands to run, but I can push them back."

"Thanks," Frank said, visibly relieved.

Ten minutes later, the brothers found themselves sitting out in front of the local coffee shop. Joe took a long sip of his drink and then said, "Spill it, big brother. I know something's eating at you. What is it?"

Frank paused as he stared into the murky brown liquid. His large hands ran up and down the ceramic mug with nervous energy. "I, um... I received some interesting news this morning."

"Okay," Joe said slowly, pushing a blonde curl off of his face. "About what?"

Frank glanced up at his brother and took a deep breath before answering. "Nancy's pregnant."

"Holy shit," Joe commented. He leaned back against the wicker chair in shock. So that's what the problem was. 'No wonder he seems so out of it,' he thought. "When did she tell you?"

Frank took a sip of the hot steaming liquid and leaned back in the chair. "She didn't," he answered.

Joe leaned forward, his face a mask of confusion. "Then how do you know? What did she leave a pregnancy test in the trash can or something?"

Frank snorted at his brother's comment. "Not quite. When I was getting ready to leave the house, her cell phone rang and I answered it. It was a doctor's office calling to confirm an appointment for Tuesday. I told the person that she was upstairs napping and the lady laughed and told me not to worry - that the fatigue and the rest of the initial symptoms will disappear by the end of the first trimester."

Joe's eyes bulged in shock as he digested the information. Taking a sip of his coffee, he ran a hand through his blonde curls before commenting. "Wow," was all he could manage.

Nodding, Frank said, "Yeah - tell me about it."

Joe shot a quizzical look at the dark haired man in front of him. "So, how do you feel?"

Frank cut his eyes in Joe's direction. "How do you think I feel? I'm still in shock. Logically, I know that she's probably waiting until the wedding is over to tell me, but I still wish she had given me some sort of indication that she even thought she might be pregnant."

"I can understand that," Joe said, sympathizing with his brother's predicament. "But when you stop and think about the news in and of itself, not how you found out - how do you feel about it?"

"Well," Frank began. "It's not exactly the order I would've liked things to happen. I had kind of hoped that we'd be married for a while before we started having kids."

Joe smiled at his older brother. "You've been holding out on me," he teased. "I didn't know you and Nancy were talking marriage already."

"We're not." Frank grinned sheepishly. "But it is something that I can definitely see happening one day," he admitted honestly.

"So can I," Joe said, returning his brother's smile. "It's a little unconventional, true. But it doesn't mean that you guys can't make it work."

Frank groaned and ran a hand over his worried face. "I can just hear the lecture from Mom and Dad now."

"Don't forget Aunt Gertrude," Joe teased good-naturedly. "Actually, I don't think they'll be too upset. I know Mom's already started in on Van about having grand-kids. They might be a little disappointed in the order of the way you two went about things, like you said. But, I don't think it'll last for long."

Gripping his mug in frustration, Frank stared at the liquid once more. "So, do I tell her that I know? Or do I wait for her to tell me?"

Joe polished off the remainder of his drink. "Good question. Personally, I think you should talk to her when you get home. She'll probably be relieved to get it off her chest. And if you just wait for her to say something, you're not going to be acting like yourself until she does, and she'll pick up on that really quick."

"You're right," Frank said after a moment's pause to consider his options. He stood up and crumbled the napkin in his hands and downed the last little bit of his coffee. Setting the mug down on the table, he told Joe, "Thanks for the advice, baby brother."

Joe jumped to his feet and clamped Frank's shoulder with his hand. "Anytime. So, we're all meeting at your place at nine o'clock tonight, right?"

"Nine o'clock," Frank confirmed with a grin. "Hope you're ready for everything the gang's got planned."

Joe rubbed his hands together conspiratorially, as he waggled his eyebrows. "I can't wait."

Frank turned to walk away, while he laughed at his brother's antics. "See you tonight, Joe."


	3. Chapter 3: Secrets Revealed

When he arrived back at the condo, Frank sat in his car for a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard and noted that it was a quarter after eleven. He needed to wake up Nancy soon. The brunch started at twelve-thirty, and he wanted some time to talk to her before she had to leave.

Climbing out of the car, Frank grabbed the flowers off the passenger seat, that he had stopped and picked up for Nancy on his way home. He hoped the brightly colored blooms would put a smile on her face. He breathed in the lovely aroma of the flowers and felt himself relax slightly. Once inside, he threw his garment bag over a chair in the living room and then bounded up the stairs.

Slowly opening the door to his bedroom, he saw that she was still sound asleep. He quietly padded over to the edge of the bed and sat the flowers down on the night stand. Laying down on his side next to Nancy, he softly caressed her face to wake her.

Her eyelids fluttered open and Nancy found herself staring into Frank's chocolate brown eyes. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey, yourself."

"What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"Eleven fifteen," he answered her. He scooted closer to her and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. "We need to talk."

"About?" Nancy questioned nervously. Those four words were never good to hear in any relationship. She rolled over on her back and turned her head to look at him as he replied.

Frank took a deep breath before answering her. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked gently.

Confusion flickered across Nancy's face. Her heart began to beat faster as his words sunk in. Surely there was no way that he knew. She hadn't even given him the slightest reason to suspect what she had feared. "Tell you what?"

Placing his hand gently on her abdomen, he said, "Dr. Walter's office called to confirm your appointment for Tuesday morning."

Nancy closed her eyes and sighed deeply. This was not how she wanted Frank to find out. She had wanted to be the one to tell him, she had just been waiting for the right time. Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt one trickle down her face. "I'm sorry that I wasn't the one to tell you. Are you mad?"

Frank reached over and wiped the offending tears off of her face. "I wish you had told me that you even thought you might be pregnant. Why didn't you?"

"I just... I didn't want you to worry if there was nothing to be worried over. Trust me, I've done enough worrying for the both of us lately," she told him. Turning back on her side to face him, she looked at him through tear filled eyes. "I didn't plan for this to happen, you know."

Frank laughed lightly. "The thought never crossed my mind, Nan. It's not the way I would've planned things to go either, but there's nothing we can do about our timing now."

Sniffling, she snuggled close to Frank and buried her head in his chest. "What are we going to do?"

Rubbing gentle circles on her back in comfort, Frank answered her. "We'll figure it out. We still have some time to cover all of our options."

"Options?" Nancy said, pushing back out of his arms. She wiped at her eyes and said, "Frank, there are no options. I'm having the baby."

Frank's eyes were a mask of confusion, until he realized what she thought he meant. "Oh, no, Nan. No. Not what I meant at all. I guess the better word would be, logistics, maybe?" He clasped her small hands in his much larger ones and continued. "I meant things like where do we live, how do we tell everyone. That kind of thing."

"Oh," Nancy's expression softened dramatically, listening to his explanation. "I'm sorry, I'm just really on edge still and I... I was so worried that you'd be upset."

Pulling her back into his arms he hugged her tightly. "Still in major shock, yes. But, not upset. I love you, Nancy. Don't ever doubt that."

"I don't, Frank." She sniffled once more before continuing. "It's just that this was the last thing either of us expected to happen, and I didn't know how you were going to take the news. Hell, I don't even know how I feel about it at this point."

Frank raised Nancy's chin with his finger and looked deep into her bright blue eyes. "The shock needs some time to wear off for both of us," he admitted. "Do you know when ... uh... this happened?" he asked.

Nancy smiled at his choice of words. "I can't give you an exact date," she laughed softly, "but it had to have happened the first time you were in Chicago."

Frank's eyes went wide. "The first time I was in Chicago?" he questioned.

Nancy shook her head yes. "That's what I think. I've never been like clockwork, I guess you would say, so I didn't think too much about it. It wasn't until last week, that I started to get really nervous. And there hasn't been enough time between your last visit and now for me to think it was the long weekend that you came back in town."

Frank took a deep breath and sighed. A nagging voice in the back of his mind reminded him that she had been living with Ned at the time when he first arrived in Chicago. He desperately wanted to ask what was on his mind, but he couldn't find a way to form the words so that he wouldn't upset her.

Sensing his hesitation, Nancy placed a hand on his chest. "Just so you know," she began "Ned and I hadn't been together in that sense for a long time. A really long while, actually. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this baby belongs to you, not Ned."

Frank released a breath that he didn't know that he had been holding. "Good to know," he smiled, in obvious relief. Letting out a short laugh, he joked, "How's that for luck? First time out and we hit the jackpot."

Nancy managed a half hearted smile, and retorted, "Too bad we didn't play the lottery instead."

"Well, there's not much we can do about it now," he reminded her. "While we're sharing, there's something I need to tell you too," he began."I, well, shortly after finding out I ran into Joe at the tux shop. Don't kill me, but I told him. I wasn't sure what to do, and he's the one that gave me the advice to go ahead and talk to you about it, so we could enjoy our weekend."

Nancy sighed. She felt slightly betrayed that Frank would talk things over with his brother before coming to her with the information, but she knew it wasn't done maliciously. Obviously, Joe's role as a sounding board had helped the conversation come to fruition, when Nancy herself didn't know how to bring it up. "It's okay, I trust Joe. I'd rather hold off and let everyone know after this weekend is over with."

Rolling over Frank grabbed the flowers from the night stand. "Here. I thought these would make you smile."

Nancy did smile, tearfully, as she accepted the beautiful bouquet of wild flowers. "You really are too good to me."

Frank sighed inwardly as he gave Nancy a reassuring smile. If the past few minutes had taught him anything, he had been quickly introduced to the constantly unstable moods of pregnant women. First she cried, then laughed, and now she was crying again. It was going to be a long nine months.


	4. Chapter 4: Oops

A few minutes after the party was supposed to begin, Frank and Nancy arrived at the Hardy household for Vanessa's brunch. The long talk that they had before leaving the house had alleviated much of Nancy's nervousness. She now was confident that although this was not an ideal situation, everything was going to be alright. Nancy's father, Carson Drew, was flying in for the wedding the following morning and she and Frank had decided they would sit their parents down together and inform them of their news.

As Nancy prepared to get exit the vehicle, Frank instructed her, "I'll be back to get you at two-thirty. If you need anything before then, call me."

Shooting Frank a grin, Nancy replied, "Frank, I'm pregnant, not helpless. Besides, what could go wrong?"

"Famous last words, Drew," he muttered before placing a soft goodbye kiss on her lips. "I'll see you in a little bit. I love you."

"Love you, too." With a small wave, Nancy climbed out of the car and walked up the pathway to the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer.

"Nancy!" Laura Hardy cried, as she opened the door. She smiled and enveloped the young woman in a hug. "It's good to see you again, dear."

Smiling genuinely back, Nancy agreed. "It's good to see you too, Mrs. Hardy."

Ushering Nancy inside, Laura said, "Mrs. Hardy is Fenton's mother. Please, call me, Laura. After all, you're practically family."

'You have no idea,' Nancy thought wryly as she told Laura, "If you insist."

"I do." Grabbing Nancy's arm, the petite blonde woman, guided Nancy through the house towards the sounds of the party. "Come on in and meet everyone. I'm not sure if you know anyone that's here, so I'll introduce you."

Stepping in to the living room, Nancy glanced at all the young woman gathered there. The only person that she had actually met in person before was Frank and Joe's Aunt Gertrude. There were only two other women in the room that she thought she recognized and that was the bride, Vanessa, and Frank's ex-girlfriend, Callie Shaw.

"Ladies, this is Nancy Drew. She's Frank's girlfriend and an old friend of the family." Laura called out over the din of voices.

At Laura's announcement, Callie's head swung around and she gave Nancy a steely once over. But, just as quickly her intense scrutiny was replaced by a tight smile. She joined Vanessa, walking over to Nancy to formally introduce themselves.

Vanessa smiled brightly as she gave Nancy a friendly hug hello. "It's so good to meet you, Nancy."

"Likewise," Nancy smiled. Turning to the other young woman standing in front of her, she extended her hand. "And you must be Callie."

"That's me," Callie answered. "It's nice to finally meet the incomparable Nancy Drew that I heard about from Frank all those years."

Vanessa shot a warning look in Callie's direction as Nancy replied evenly, "It's nice to finally meet you, too."

Stepping in front of Callie, Vanessa took Nancy's arm and led her towards the formal dining room. "Sorry about that," Vanessa apologized, once they were out of hearing range. "I love her to death, but she's still touchy about Frank. Even though the break up was all her fault."

"No problem," Nancy replied. "I'll do my best to keep my distance, then."

"Can I get you a glass of champagne?" Vanessa offered graciously. "The girls came up with the idea of a champagne brunch and apparently meant it literally." She swept her hand towards the dining room table, which was set with several bottles of the chosen drink on one end of the table.

"If it's not too much trouble, is there anything else to drink?" Nancy asked. Once she had realized that she was pregnant, she had immediately given up her two cup a day minimum coffee habit, and had sworn off all forms of alcohol. Although she knew that small quantities on special occasions were fine, she didn't want to take any chances.

"I'm sure we can rustle up something in the kitchen," Vanessa replied. "I wish Frank had told us that you weren't a drinker, I would've made sure that there was something else out for you to enjoy."

"I actually do love champagne, but I've just sworn it off for the time being," Nancy answered evasively.

Vanessa smiled as she motioned for Nancy to follow her into the kitchen. "Too many champagne hangovers, huh?"she sympathized. "Those are the worst kind aren't they?"

"Actually," Nancy began cautiously, "if I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone? Frank has already told Joe, so I'm sure it won't be long until your fiancee swears you to secrecy, anyway."

"Sure," Vanessa promised. She glanced curiously at Nancy, wondering what the big secret was.

Nancy took a cursory glance around the otherwise empty kitchen before she whispered. "I'm pregnant."

Vanessa's eyes became wide with shock as she digested the information. 'Always cautious and level-headed Frank got Nancy pregnant?' she thought to herself. "Wow," she finally managed to say. Proceeding with a slight hesitation, she asked, "Are congratulations in order?"

"Well, it's not something we planned to happen," Nancy admitted truthfully. She bit her bottom lip before breaking into a grin, "But, yes, congratulations would be appropriate."

Vanessa smiled widely, and embraced Nancy once more, "Well, congratulations then!" she exclaimed.

"Congratulations on what?" Laura asked, as she stepped into the kitchen. "What's the good news?"

Nancy cursed inwardly when she heard Mrs. Hardy's voice. Thankfully it seemed that the older woman hadn't heard the beginning of Nancy's announcement. She hated lying to Laura, but she knew she had to fib her way out of the predicament. She turned to Mrs. Hardy and grinned. "I just told Vanessa that I got a promotion at work this week."

"Congratulations," Laura offered with a smile. "What's your new title?"

Nancy ran one hand through her hair as she formulated an answer in her mind. "I'm now a Senior Investigative Reporter for the Tribune," she fibbed.

"Good for you, Nancy," Laura grinned. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," Nancy replied. She felt terrible about her fib, but under the circumstances, she was able to justify it.

Laura stepped in between the younger women and put her arms around their shoulders. "Since you both have good news, why don't we all get back in the other room and celebrate?" she suggested.

Vanessa and Nancy exchanged smiling glances. "I was just getting Nancy something to drink," Vanessa explained. "We'll rejoin the party in a few minutes, I promise."

"Oh, I get it," Laura laughed. "Neither one of you wants the mother- in-law in the room while you swap secrets about my sons. And considering I probably don't want to know what you are talking about, I'll see you two in the other room."

Nancy and Vanessa both chuckled at Mrs. Hardy's assessment of the situation. As soon as Laura was safely out of hearing range, Vanessa cocked an eyebrow in Nancy's direction. "Senior Investigative Reporter?" she teased.

Nancy shook her head in slight amusement. "It's believable. I don't even want to think about how she's going to react when she finds out the real reason you were telling me congratulations."

Vanessa placed a comforting hand on Nancy's shoulder. "Honestly," she began. "I think she'll take the news better than you think she will. She's already started dropping hints to Joe and me about filling her house with grandchildren."

"Already?" Nancy grinned.

Vanessa nodded her head yes, as she walked over to the refrigerator. "We've tried telling her that we want to wait a few years before we start a family, but she still slyly makes comments every now and then. Your choices are water, milk, diet cola, iced tea, or lemonade," Vanessa offered, peering inside the appliance.

Nancy thought briefly before deciding. "Lemonade sounds good," she told her.

Vanessa grabbed the pitcher from the fridge and set it on the counter. As she opened up a cabinet to reach for a glass, she turned her head to glance at Nancy. "But once you and Frank share your news, that means she should lay off me and Joe for awhile," Vanessa grinned.

"Glad we could help," Nancy retorted wryly.

Vanessa chuckled at Nancy's statement. She handed Nancy her drink, and looped her arm through Nancy's. "You and I are going to get along just fine," she smiled. "Now let's get back out there before anyone else decides to join us in the kitchen."

* * *

An hour and a half later, the party was over and Vanessa and Nancy were back in the kitchen cleaning up from the festivities. Laura and Gertrude were in the living room straightening up when Frank walked in.

"How was the party?" he asked, surveying the empty champagne glasses scattered about the living room. "It looks like everyone had a good time."

"It went really well," Laura answered. She walked over to her son and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"We could use an extra hand with the clean-up," Aunt Gertrude prompted from the other side of the room.

Frank rolled his eyes good-naturedly at his aunt. "It wasn't my fiancee's bridal brunch," he protested teasingly.

"No," Laura admitted, as she picked up some trash and deposited it in a large trash bag, "But we ended up celebrating Nancy's good news as well, so start helping."

"You did?" Frank choked, dumb-founded by his mother's statement.

"Of course. It's fantastic news," Mrs. Hardy replied.

Frank tried to make sense of the conversation he was having. He couldn't believe that Nancy had told his mother, since they had agreed to wait until after the wedding. And even more confusing, she seemed genuinely excited and not mad in the least. "You're not shocked? Even though it's completely unexpected?" Frank pressed.

"Shocked that you didn't tell us, yes. But, I'm not shocked by the announcement. I think it's a good thing," Laura answered her son. She looked at him quizzically and asked. "What is wrong with you, Frank?"

Frank walked over to the couch and sat down in amazement. He leaned back and ran his hands over his face and replied, "Nancy told you that we're having a baby, and you're not shocked, but ecstatic?" Frank shook his head and chuckled slightly. "I can assure you that is not how I thought you would take the news."


	5. Chapter 5: And so it Begins

Suddenly, the silence was deafening - until the sound of a glass shattering on the hard wood floor reverberated throughout the room. Frank twisted around to face his mother and saw an expression of disbelief on her face. He squeezed his eyes shut in horror and asked softly, "We're not talking about the same news, are we?"

At the sound of breaking glass, Nancy and Vanessa rushed into the living room. "Are you okay, Laura?" Vanessa asked, seeing the broken glass at Mrs. Hardy's feet.

Gathering her composure, Laura turned to Vanessa and plastered a tight smile on her face. "Just a little accident." Turning to her sister-in- law, she asked, "Gertrude, would you mind helping Vanessa finish up in the kitchen? I need to speak with Frank and Nancy for a moment."

Nancy groaned inwardly at the statement. Noting the grim look on Laura's face and the worried look on Frank's face, it was obvious that their secret was no longer a secret. She waited for Gertrude to say something, and was surprised when no comment was made. Rarely did the boy's aunt not make her opinion known, but even she was too stunned to speak. She merely nodded to Laura and made her way towards the kitchen. Vanessa soon followed, but not before giving Nancy a look of reassurance.

Laura motioned for Nancy to take a seat on the couch, and she sat on the love seat opposite her son and Nancy. "You didn't get a promotion did you, Nancy?" she asked.

Nancy sighed before answering contritely, "No ma'am, I didn't."

"Promotion?" Frank interrupted.

Before Nancy could explain, Laura beat her to it. "I found Vanessa offering congratulations to Nancy in the kitchen earlier, and she told me it was due to a promotion she received at work. Senior Investigative Reporter, I believe it was."

Frank looked back and forth between the two women that meant the most to him. All the pieces were starting to fall into place. He quickly deduced that Nancy must have told Vanessa their news, and lied to his mother when called into question. 'I probably would've done the same thing' he thought. 'Mom never would've known if I hadn't opened my mouth,' he berated himself. Deciding to take the heat, Frank threw himself into the mix. "Mom, I'm sorry that you found out the way you did, but I promise that we were going to sit down with both you and Dad after the wedding and tell you ourselves."

"We didn't want to ruin the weekend," Nancy added. She stole a quick glance at Frank before continuing, "and now it looks like we have. I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"How long have you been keeping this from us?" Laura queried.

"I just found out this morning," Frank replied.

Nancy nodded in agreement. "I've known for about a week," she informed Laura. "I was going to wait until after the wedding to let Frank know myself, but he found out by accident this morning."

"Accident?" Laura asked. "How do you find something like that out by accident?"

Frank shook his head at the memory of the earlier phone call and his slip up of telling his mother. "Apparently, pretty easily," he joked. He explained the phone call from the doctor's office, and watched as his mother fought back a grin.

"Well," Laura sighed, "what do you two think about the situation you seemed to have gotten yourselves into?"

Frank clasped Nancy's hand in his and smiled. "I think we're both still in shock right now, but we don't think it's a bad thing. Give the shock some time to wear off, and I'm sure both of us we'll be very happy about it."

"We realize that the order we're going about things, is unconventional at best. But," Nancy said as she took a deep breath before continuing, "I think that, the current situation non-withstanding, both of us know deep down it's just a matter of time before we decide to get married, anyway. So, I think we're going to be okay," she finished quietly.

Frank squeezed Nancy's hand in reassurance, letting her know that he felt the same way. He hadn't brought up the matter when they had talked earlier, but just as he had told his brother, he could definitely see it in his future. He just didn't want Nancy to think that he wanted to marry her because it was the right thing, but rather it was because he loved her with all his heart that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Laura smiled softly at Nancy's statement. There was no denying what she had said was the truth. She could tell that Nancy was good for her son, and that he was good for her. She had suspected that there would be another wedding to plan for within the next year or two, but hadn't yet let on her suspicions. Still, another part of Laura was disappointed in their actions. She wasn't a fool to think her children were innocent, but thought she had taught them well enough to keep this kind of thing from happening. Voicing her thoughts she told them both, "Well, that's good to know. I can't say that I'm not disappointed, but I think like you said, once the shock has worn off, I'll be happy for you, too."

"You mean that?" Frank asked cautiously. He was still reeling from the entire conversation. He wasn't sure how his parents were going to take the news, but so far it seemed to be going as well as could be expected.

"I do," Laura answered sincerely. "Despite the situation, I'm going to have a grandchild. How is that not good news?" She smiled at the thought and chuckled in disbelief. "Oh my goodness, I'm going to be a grandmother."

"Yes, you are," Nancy laughed. "And just between you and me," she whispered conspiratorially, "Vanessa thinks this will get her and Joe off the hook."

"She thinks wrong," Laura grinned, the earlier tension starting to drift away. "I want a house full."

Frank stood and walked over to his mother and threw his arm her shoulders. "Why don't you let us get through this one first, before you start talking about numbers two and three?" he teased.

"I'll see what I can do," Laura winked. "But first things first, you have to tell your father, Frank. And Nancy, your father deserves to know now, too."

"Yes, ma'am," Nancy answered. "Since Dad's flying in for the wedding tomorrow, we had planned on breaking the news to you all at once. I guess we'll still fill him in then."

"Good," Laura replied. She turned to her son, and said, "Fenton should be home about five tonight. I suggest you be back here then to give him the news."

Frank nodded. "I will." He hugged his mother and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for taking the news so well. I was expecting a lecture."

Laura eyed her son and Nancy carefully before speaking. "Well, you're both adults now. I imagine that each of you has been giving yourself your own internal lecture anyway. No point in me adding to it."

"Thank you for being so understanding, Laura," Nancy said graciously. "You don't know how much better I feel now that it's all out in the open."

"I can imagine," Mrs. Hardy replied, as she rose from the love seat. "Why don't you two head back to Frank's and rest for a while? Gertrude and I can handle the rest of the mess."

"Are you sure?" Nancy queried. "I don't mind staying and helping you finish up."

"I'm positive," Laura answered. She walked over to Nancy and placed a hand on her arm. "Listen to someone who has been through it twice. Get all the rest you can now, because you won't be getting any sleep at all in about nine months." She shot a grin in Frank's direction. "Especially if this baby is anything like his or her father, you'll be a walking zombie for the first few months."

Nancy raised her eyebrows and asked, "Difficult baby, was he?"

"Hey, I am still in the room," Frank said in mock protest.

Laura threw her head back and laughed. "And still is." The two women chuckled and glanced at Frank who was shaking his head at their antics.

"And on that note, let's get out of here before she starts bringing out the baby books," Frank said, walking over to Nancy and wrapping his arm around her waist.

Nancy's eyes sparkled with laughter at the mention of Frank's baby book. "Ooh! I think I'll come back with Frank later on and when he's speaking with his father, you can show me all the things from his childhood that he would prefer remain hidden."

"That's a marvelous idea," Laura exclaimed. She shrugged her shoulders at her embarrassed son and added, "You're the one that brought it up, dear."

Frank groaned good-naturedly and said, "Don't remind me."

"Let's go say goodbye to your aunt and Vanessa before we leave," Nancy suggested, changing the topic, much to Frank's relief.  
"I'm sure Vanessa will need some help carrying the wedding presents out to her car," Laura hinted.

"I'm on it," Frank replied. The two made their way into the kitchen and were greeted by an anxious Vanessa.

"How did it go?" she asked.

Nancy let out a relieved sigh. "Better than we expected. Now the only people left to tell are our fathers. That's going to be the difficult one. At least mine will be."

"You'll be fine," Vanessa reassured her. Turning to Frank she asked, "And how is my favorite brother-in-law holding up?"

"Your soon to be and one and only brother-in-law," Frank teasingly pointed out, "is doing just fine. Except for the fact that I've been volunteered to help you take all the gifts you raked in today to the car."

Swatting Frank with a dish towel she was holding, she retorted playfully, "Well that's your duty, mister. To help me out when Joe's not around." Pointing to a stack of boxes outside the kitchen door she instructed, "My car is parked across the street and is unlocked, if you want to start helping me load them up."

"Yes ma'am," Frank grinned, and followed Vanessa over to the large stack of gifts to start taking them outside.

As soon as Frank and Vanessa had disappeared, Gertrude approached Nancy. "I hope you two realize what you've gotten yourselves into, young lady."

Nancy inhaled deeply before answering. "I think we're both very well aware of the difficulties that lie ahead," she responded evenly and calmly. "But thank you for your concern." She looked pointedly at the older woman as she spoke and silently dared her to make another snide comment.

Realizing that she had been put in her place, the expression on Gertrude's face softened. "I know I have a reputation for being very stern with the boys," she began. "But it's only because I care about them and have their best interests at heart. I don't want to see either one of them make a mistake they can't fix."

"I respect that," Nancy replied. "But I don't think this is a mistake. An unplanned occurrence yes, but a mistake no."

Before Gertrude could respond, Laura entered the kitchen with a handful of glasses. "I hope you're not giving Nancy a hard time, Gertrude," she said, chastising her sister-in-law.

"I was just making sure that Nancy realized how big of a responsibility they are taking on," Gertrude said, attempting to defend herself.

Laura shook her head at Gertrude. "I don't think they need you to tell them that. Frank and Nancy are both intelligent adults. I'm sure they realize how much their lives are going to be affected."

"Laura," Nancy interrupted. "It's okay, really. I know she's just looking out for Frank."

Just then, Frank ushered a shaking Vanessa back into the kitchen. He tossed Nancy his cell phone and said, "Call Joe, and tell him to get over here right away. I've got to call the police."

"What happened?" All three women chorused in unison, immediately surrounding an obviously frightened Vanessa.

Frank pulled Nancy to the side as he reached for the phone on the kitchen wall. He shoved a large plain white envelope in her hands and said, "That was on her windshield."

Nancy reached into the envelope and pulled out a handful of pictures and a piece of paper. She quickly glanced through the photos and was shocked at what she saw. All were candid black and white pictures of Joe, either by himself or with Vanessa. Vanessa's face had been scratched out of all the pictures that she was in, including one of the couple in bed. But what was more disturbing than that were the images of Joe by himself. One of Joe emerging from the shower and toweling off, one of him changing clothes in the bedroom, and one of him sleeping soundly.

Unfolding the paper, Nancy involuntarily gasped as she read the note, which read: "IF I CAN'T HAVE HIM, NEITHER CAN YOU."


	6. Chapter 6: Initial Reactions

Nancy refolded the note and stuffed the photos and note back inside the envelope. She flipped Frank's phone open and found Joe's cell phone number. "Hello?," Joe answered.

"Hey, Joe," Nancy responded. "Frank asked me to call you and have you come over to your parent's house right away."

"What's wrong?" Joe asked, immediately concerned. "Is everyone okay?"

Nancy sighed. "Everyone's fine. I really can't go into it over the phone. Just get here as soon as you can, okay?"

"I'm on my way," Joe promised before hanging up.

Nancy set the envelope on the counter and rejoined the other women. "It's going to be alright," Nancy told Vanessa. "I promise."

Vanessa wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head vehemently. "Who would do such a thing?" she whispered.

"What's going on?" Gertrude demanded.

"Apparently someone has become obsessed with Joe," Nancy carefully explained, leaving out the explicit details. "There was a threat."

"And pictures," Vanessa whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Laura's eyes grew wide. "Pictures?" she repeated.

Vanessa nodded mutely and Nancy said yes. "Whoever took the pictures has some kind of surveillance system installed in Joe and Vanessa's apartment."

"Oh, dear," Laura exclaimed, drawing Vanessa in for a hug. "You and Joe will stay here until the police figure out what is going on."  
Vanessa nodded once more.

Sniffling, she pushed out of Laura's embrace and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. "Thank you."

Just then, Frank approached the four women. "The police will be here shortly," he informed them. "I also called Dad and let him know that he needed to come home as soon as possible, too."

"Joe's on his way, as well," Nancy supplied. "Why don't you take Vanessa back into the living room to wait for Joe?" she asked the older women.

Gertrude and Laura both nodded and guided a still shaking Vanessa out of the kitchen. Nancy sighed and shook her head as she turned to Frank. "This is awful," she said.

Frank's grim expression agreed with her. He picked up the envelope and held it tightly in his hands. "Whoever is doing this to my brother and Van is going to pay."

Nancy ran a hand comfortingly down Frank's arm. "We'll catch them, Frank."

"I hope you're right," he replied, still fuming with anger.

* * *

When Joe pulled up to the Hardy house and saw a Bayport PD patrol car sitting out front, his breath caught in his chest. He rushed in the front door of his childhood home, looking around for someone to give him some answers. He followed the sound of his fiancee's voice, and found her in the living room, along with his parents, Aunt Gertrude, Frank, Nancy and Sgt. Con Riley. "What's going on?" Joe demanded, as he rushed to Vanessa's side. He knelt down in front of her and took in her appearance carefully. "You okay, babe?" he asked softly, pushing a stray blonde hair away from her tear streaked face.

Vanessa responded by throwing her arms around Joe and holding him tight. "I'm fine," she whispered. "I'm just glad you're here."

Still holding Vanessa in his arms, he looked over at his brother and father. "Would someone please fill me in," he begged impatiently.

"Someone's been spying on you and Vanessa," Frank explained. "They've apparently taking quite a liking to you, and want Van out of the way." He motioned to Con to pass Joe the envelope that contained the pictures and the note. "We found that on her windshield when I was helping her load up the car."

"What the hell?" Joe asked incredulously at his brother's explanation. He disentangled himself from Vanessa so he could examine the contents of the envelope.

Everyone in the room watch Joe's expression turn from one of horror to anger as he looked through the pictures and read the note. "Someone has been watching me in my own house?" he cried in frustration, as he began pacing the living room. "Watching every single move we make? Seeing the things aren't meant for anyone else to see?!"

Getting to his feet, Fenton grabbed Joe's arms and made an effort to calm his youngest son. "Joe, breathe," he instructed. "You've got to get a grip on yourself."

Joe's face was blood red in anger. "Get a grip?" he muttered. "I don't think so. I'm going home right now to tear it apart and figure out just how many damn cameras there are in that place."

"No, Joe," Con Riley interjected from the other side of the room, "you're not. I've already got a special team dispatched to your place and they're doing that right now."

"The hell I won't!" Joe exploded. "That's our house and our privacy that's been violated. I have every right to be there!"

Frank stood suddenly and swiftly crossed the room to stand in front of his brother. "Excuse us," he apologized to the others in the living room, before dragging Joe out of the living room and out the front door.

"Should we go after them?" Laura worriedly asked her husband.

Fenton shook his head no. "I think Frank is just going to talk some sense into him."

* * *

"What?" Joe asked angrily, as he twisted out of his brother's grasp.

"Sit," Frank said, pointing to the front steps.

"I don't believe you!" Joe said, arms crossed. "You're stopping me from going to my own house?"

"No, I'm stopping you from self-destructing on the day before your wedding," Frank replied tersely. "Now sit."

Joe mutely sat on the stoop as he ran his hands over his face in frustration. "I can't believe this is happening," he moaned.

"I can't either," Frank agreed, as he sat down next to his brother. "But you're not going to do yourself or Vanessa any good by blowing up about it."

"Oh, God," Joe said, squeezing his eyes shut in horror. He had been so enraged that someone had been spying on them, he hadn't even stopped to consider that Vanessa was feeling just as much, if not more so, violated than him. "What have I done?"

Frank patted his younger brother on the back. "Nothing that can't be fixed with a sincere apology," he answered. "You're getting married to a wonderful woman in less than twenty-four hours. I know this is a crazy situation that's unfolded, but you can't let it interfere with your plans. A wedding is a once in a life-time thing, Joe. Don't let you or Vanessa's happiness be destroyed by this lunatic."

"But I can't just go about things and wait for this person to strike," Joe argued.

"Well, you're going to have to," Frank instructed firmly. "The police, Dad, and I are going to take care of this. You just have to concentrate on getting married tomorrow."

Joe threw his head back and sighed. "I don't know if I can do that."

"Tough. For once you're not going to get your way, baby brother," Frank said, eyeing his brother carefully. "You have to be at the church in three hours," he continued after consulting his watch. "And then tonight you have a little party to attend, that should hopefully keep your mind off things. And tomorrow, you're getting married. Married, Joe."

Joe's face finally broke into a small smile. "Yeah. I am, aren't I?"

Frank nodded laughing at his brother's comment. "I still can't believe that Van said yes. But hey, it's her life," he teased.

Joe punched Frank in the arm for his comment, before attempting an apology. "I was out of line in there, Frank. Thanks for talking some sense into me."

Frank shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I've gotten lots of experience over the years. But I'm not the one that deserves an apology. Get back in there and tell everyone else, especially Vanessa."


	7. Chapter 7: The Unusual Suspects

After sincerely apologizing for his earlier outburst, Joe sat as patiently as he could, as Con asked he and Vanessa question after question.  
"Joe is there anyone that you can think of you might have unintentionally led on?" Con asked.

Joe vehemently shook his head no. "I may be a shameless flirt," he admitted, "but that's as far as it goes." Glancing at his bride, who was seated to his left, he gently clasped her hand. "My heart belongs to her. Always has, always will."

Clearing his throat to reclaim the couple's attention, Con continued with his questions. "Think, Joe. Is there anyone in the recent past that has asked you out and you've had to rebuff their advances?"

Groaning Joe replied. "Not to be a smart ass, but this could take awhile. It happens all the time. But I always tell them the same thing. Thank you, but I have a wonderful fiancée at home, who wouldn't be too happy about it."

"Give the man some names, son," Fenton directed.

"Start with the people that you know on a more personal level, or that you see on a regular basis," Sgt. Riley instructed.

Joe ran a hand over his weary face as he thought, 'Where to even begin?'. Straightening up in his seat he started to speak. "Let's see. At work there is, Connie, Sheila, and Amber."

A hint of a smile crept across Con's face as he wrote, "Last names?"

"Connie Matthews and Sheila Duval I know for sure. They're both field agents, as well. I don't know Amber's last name. She's a new secretary that the Bureau hired a few months ago," Joe supplied.

"Field agents would definitely have a working knowledge of surveillance systems," Frank interjected.

"Yeah, but I don't see it," Joe responded. "I've worked with both of them for the last year, and even though we flirt, they know I'm getting married. I even invited them both to the wedding."

Tapping his pen on the notebook in front of him, Con motioned for Joe to continue. "Anyone else?"

"Two of the girls that work in the apartment office asked me out when we first moved in," Joe said. "I think their names are Laurie and Rebecca. No clue on the last names."

"Weren't those two girls here today?" Nancy asked. "Those names sounds familiar."

Vanessa nodded her head yes. "They both were. The three of us have become really good friends since we moved in. They live in the next building over."

"Working in the office would give them unfettered access to your apartment," Con pointed out.

"And I'd say about ten or so other people who work for the apartment, including the maintenance men, also have unfettered access as well," Joe countered.

"They were here today," Fenton argued. "One of them could've easily left the package on Vanessa's car as they left."

Joe acquiesced, "It's worth checking out, but again, I don't see it. Plus, they're Vans friends."

"Anyone else?" Con asked, once more.

Joe's face turned a slight shade of pink as he began to rattle off more names. "There's Stephanie, at the bank, who I see once a week. Diane, who works at the gas station that I stop at every morning. Shelly at the local coffee house, also almost a daily occurrence. And Grace, Rose, and Emily at the gym. Grace is the receptionist, the other two just workout there, like I do."

Frank shook his head in amazement. "Joe, is there a female within a fifty mile radius of Bayport that you haven't flirted with?"

Joe's cheeks turned an even brighter shade of red at his brother's statement. "It's part of my boyish charm," he said, defending himself. "Besides, I've told Van every time I've been asked out."

"He has," Vanessa agreed. "That's why I'm sitting here calmly right now, instead of punching the living daylights out of him," she smiled.

* * *

"This isn't good," Fenton Hardy sighed as he looked through the contents of the envelope once more.

Frank and Nancy sat with Fenton at the kitchen table, developing a plan of action. After concluding his questioning, Sgt. Riley had followed Vanessa and Joe to their apartment to collect the things they would need for the next few days, as well as to keep an eye on Joe. Gertrude and Laura were finally finishing up cleaning the living and dining rooms from the earlier celebration.

"No, it's not," Frank agreed with his father.

Fenton ran a hand through his hair before standing up and announcing, "I'm going to go call in some favors. I'll have under cover security in place at the rehearsal dinner tonight and the wedding tomorrow. I'll also make sure there is someone with the bachelor and bachelorette parties tonight."

"I think that's a good idea. Even though Frank and I will be at the respective parties, it doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes and ears," Nancy stated.

"Nancy, I don't want you getting involved in this mess," Frank informed her. "There's no telling what could happen, especially since Vanessa is the one that's been targeted and you'll be with her."

Fenton stopped and stared at his son in shock. He couldn't believe that Frank was telling Nancy that she couldn't be a part of the investigation. What was his son thinking?

Eyes wide with disbelief Nancy stared at Frank. "Too late," Nancy responded heatedly, "I'm already involved. And you're not going to tell me that I can't be."

"Well, I just did," Frank countered, banging his fist on the table. At Nancy's shocked expression, he quickly calmed down and gazed directly into Nancy's eyes. He placed his hands over hers and continued. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. You have the baby's health to think about now, too."

"The what?" Fenton boomed.

Frank and Nancy both winced at the sound of Fenton's voice. They had both been so embroiled in their heated discussion that they had forgotten that he was in the room. "I have got to stop doing that," Frank muttered to Nancy.

Frank turned to face his father and chose his words carefully before speaking. "We wanted to sit down with you, Mom, and Mr. Drew and tell you ourselves after the wedding. But apparently, my brain and mouth aren't cooperating with each other today."

Fenton's eyebrows rose at Frank's explanation, but he didn't say anything.

Nancy grinned ruefully at Frank as she spoke, "Frank had a little mis- understanding with Mrs. Hardy earlier, and slipped up and told her by accident as well."

"Your mother already knows?" Fenton questioned.

Frank nodded, "Yes, sir."

"And how did she take the news?"

Sighing, Frank answered. "She's disappointed about the order we're going about things, naturally. But she's happy that she's going to be a grandmother."

A small smile crept over Fenton's face. That sounded like his wife. She always found the good in every situation. He knew that she was having difficulty dealing with having an empty nest since the boys had moved out, and that once Vanessa and Joe had started planning the wedding, she had started planning on filling the house with grandchildren. "I think it's safe to say I echo her sentiments," he explained to the two in front of him. "But don't think this conversation is finished," he warned them. "As soon as the dust settles around here, we're going to sit down and have a long discussion."

"Yes, sir," Frank answered his father, while Nancy merely nodded.

Fenton grinned as he pulled his oldest son up for a fatherly hug. "Congratulations, son. Now you're going to figure out first hand that it wasn't work, but having children that caused me to go prematurely gray."

The three laughed as the tension subsided. After offering his congratulations to Nancy, he announced that he was going to his study to start making some phone calls.

"Well," Frank said, plopping back down in the chair, "two down, and one to go."

Nancy grinned at her boyfriend as she made herself comfortable on his lap. "Do I need to tape your mouth closed when you see my dad tomorrow?" she teased.

Frank groaned, "No, you don't. But the first one wasn't all entirely my fault. I had no warning!"

"Sorry about that," Nancy apologized. "But you had already spilled the beans before I even knew you were in the house."

"True." Frank glanced at his watched before he gave Nancy a kiss on the cheek. "Let's get out of here. We've got two hours before we have to be at the church for the rehearsal. I want to do some digging around on the computer and see if I can come up with anything before I have to get ready."


	8. Chapter 8: Couples Coping

Author's note: Okay.. I'm trying out the new format here, to see if it's easier for people to read. Let me know if this works better for you all. Also, I've made mention of Nancy's birthday in here. Not that she has one in the series, b/c she doesn't age. So, I've made one up. All part of my creative license :) Now, on with the story....  
  
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"Joe, I'm not sure I can go in there," Vanessa told him as they approached the front door of their apartment.  
  
His arm wrapped securely around her waist, he guided her back out of the breeze way and into the late afternoon sunlight. "I'm not going to make you if you don't want to, Van. Hell, I don't even like the idea of going back in there. But the place is crawling with police. I'm sure they've already found everything they're looking for. No one will be watching."  
  
"Okay. I guess I can manage a few minutes. But just long enough to gather everything we need for tonight and tomorrow. Thank goodness we've already packed for the honeymoon," she declared.  
  
Joe cupped her face in his hands, "And as soon as we get back from our honeymoon, we'll find a new place to live. I promise."  
  
"Thank you," Vanessa replied, reaching up for a kiss.  
  
Entering their home, they were immediately astounded at the amount of people in such a small space. "Van, why don't you start grabbing your things. I'll be there in just a minute," Joe suggested.  
  
Con Riley was speaking to an older officer when Joe approached. "How bad is it?" Joe asked.  
  
Shaking his head at the younger man in front of him, he replied, "Not good, Joe. So far, Doug and his team here have found a camera in every room of the house. It seems as if they were all video feeds, not actual cameras. The video cameras led them to a recorder and monitors up in the duct work over the hallway."  
  
Joe felt the bile rise in his throat as Sgt. Riley spoke. He and Vanessa had been watched every minute of the day. There was not a single spot in the house that was safe from the intruder's vision. "How could I not know there were cameras in every room of the house?" Joe exclaimed.  
  
"You had no idea, Joe," Con answered patiently. "You weren't looking for them, but even if you did know they were there, I'm not even sure you would've noticed them. There were no blinking lights or other noticeable signs to indicate their location."  
  
"Where were they?" Joe asked.  
  
"In the vents in the ceiling of each room. They were directed to the most commonly used areas."  
  
"Like the bed in our bedroom," Joe whispered. He recalled their being a ceiling vent at the foot of the bed. Vanessa had complained to him one night that she was cold, and he needed to shut the vent, but he protested and insisted on keeping her warm himself. He berated himself for not listening to her that night. If he had, he might have found the cameras months ago and stopped this situation from happening.  
  
"Don't beat yourself up over this, Joe. It's not your fault," Con told him gently.  
  
Joe nodded mutely before turning to head towards the bedroom that he and Vanessa shared.  
  
"Joe," Con called out as he watched Joe exit the living room.  
  
"Yeah?" Joe glanced warily over his shoulder at Con.  
  
"We're going to find them," he promised. "Consider it a wedding present," he added with a small smile.  
  
"Thanks," was all Joe could manage before he retreated down the hall to find his bride. He found Vanessa sitting at the foot of their bed, her head in her hands. Joe knelt down in front of her and titled her chin upwards. "You okay, babe?"  
  
Vanessa sighed deeply. "I will be as soon as we get out of here," she replied. "My stuff is ready to go. Just get what you need and let's get the hell out of this place."  
  
Joe nodded and pulled Vanessa up with him. He hugged her tightly and suggested, "Why don't you wait for me outside. I'll only be a minute."  
  
"Okay," she agreed. She untangled herself from his arms, and began to gather her bags. She managed a small smile and said, "Don't take too long. We have to get back to the house and change so we can head to the church."  
  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Joe grinned in response. He shooed her out of the bedroom and started to pack, while attempting to ignore the sensation that he was being watched.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
"Frank!" Nancy called down the stairs to her boyfriend. "Can you come up here for a minute?"  
  
"Be right up," he hollered back. He powered down his laptop, and pushed himself away from the kitchen island in defeat. He had searched unsuccessfully for any relevant information he could find on the names of the girls Joe had listed earlier.  
  
"Almost ready?" Frank called out, as he bounded up the stairs towards the master bedroom.  
  
Nancy turned to face him as he entered the room. "I will be, as soon as you help zip me up," she smiled.  
  
"My pleasure," Frank grinned, taking in the outfit Nancy had chosen to wear. The sleeveless pale blue linen dress accentuated her slim figure, set off the red highlights in her hair, and complimented her beautiful eyes. "Turn around."  
  
Nancy did as she was told, and an involuntary shiver went down her spine as she felt Frank warm hands on her shoulders. He deftly worked the zipper up her back and then placed a soft kiss on her neck when he was done. "You look stunning," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Thank you," she replied, turning around in his arms. "You don't look so bad yourself," she grinned. "It's been a long time since I've seen you in a suit. It looks good on you." She softly caressed the material of his suit jacket before moving on to fix his tie.  
  
"You like this? Just wait til you see me in my tux tomorrow," he grinned, before bending down to brush his lips against hers.  
  
"I can't wait," Nancy murmured, returning the kiss.  
  
Suddenly, Frank pulled away from her embrace. "I almost forgot. I've got something for you," he informed her. He motioned for her to take a seat on the edge of the bed as he retrieved the surprise.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"You'll see," he replied, making his way over to the closet. He walked inside and pulled a teal blue bag off of the top shelf and hid it behind his back before returning to the bedroom. "Technically, it's your birthday present. I know your birthday isn't until next week, but we agreed that we were going to celebrate while you were here. You weren't going to get it until Sunday night when we into the city, but I thought after the mess I made of things today, I'd make up for it by giving it you tonight."  
  
"You didn't make a mess of things, Frank," Nancy answered, "but I'm not going to say no to an early birthday present," she grinned. "Now hand it over."  
  
Frank produced the bag from behind his back and Nancy let out a gasp when she saw where it was from. "Tiffany's?" she whispered in shock.  
  
"It's not what you think," he promised her, sitting down next to her on the bed. "But you deserved something special. Go ahead, open it," he urged.  
Nancy pulled the white tissue paper out of the bag and found a large rectangular matching teal box at the bottom. She nervously removed the box from it's bag and set the paper and bag on the floor next to her feet. Her eyes watered with tears as she opened the velvet box to find a beautiful string of pearls and matching earrings nestled inside. "They're beautiful," she whispered, delicately tracing the shimmering pearls with her fingers.  
  
"Not as beautiful as you," Frank countered. He gently took the box from her hands and removed the jewelry inside. "I love you, Nan. You're my best friend, the one person I think of when I go to bed at night and when I wake up in the morning. And you're soon to be the mother of our child," he explained softly, fastening the pearls around her neck. "Of course, I didn't know the last part when I bought them," he laughed lightly.  
  
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Nancy smiled, tears threatening to brim over and down her cheeks. She threw her arms around his neck, but before she could show him her appreciation with a kiss, the telephone rang, interrupting the perfect moment.  
  
"Damn," Frank swore under his breath. He briefly pressed his lips to Nancy's before standing up. "Hold that thought," he instructed her.  
  
As Frank answered the phone, Nancy stood up and wandered into the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she toyed with the pearls around her neck. Still amazed at the beauty of the gift, she put in the matching earrings. She was touching up her makeup when she saw Frank standing in the doorway.  
  
"That was Dad," he said, leaning against the door frame. "He wants us to leave for the church now, so we can have some time to go over some things that Con and his team dug up this afternoon."  
  
"Did he say what?" she quizzed, swiping lipstick across her lips.  
  
"Nope, just that we needed to get a move on."  
  
Grabbing the matching purse off of the bathroom counter, she shoved some essential make up inside and closed the purse shut. "I'm ready whenever you are," she announced.  
  
"Did I tell you how amazing that dress looks on you?" he grinned.  
  
"Yes, you did. And thank you, again." She held her hands out to her side and said, "Take a good look, this is probably the last time you'll see me in this dress, or one like it, for awhile."  
  
Frank laughed and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "You'd look beautiful in a potato sack. Now let's get out of here." 


	9. Chapter 9: Rehearsal Dinner

"A camera in every room of the house?" Frank echoed his father's statement. He shuddered at the thought. Someone seeing every minute detail of your life. Things no one else should see. He wondered how his brother and Vanessa were holding up. He glanced briefly around the church and noticed that they had not yet arrived. Glancing back at his father he asked, "How was it set up?"  
  
"Cameras were installed in the ventilation system and the lenses were hidden behind the vents in the ceiling," Fenton supplied. He too felt the same disgust at the betrayal that had been committed against his younger son and his fiancé. "They ran the lines to the duct work over the hallway where they found recorders and monitors."  
  
"Well, this obviously isn't your average garden variety stalker," Nancy spoke up. "Have they checked out the agents from the Bureau yet?"  
  
"Con's working on it. After he called me earlier I placed some calls myself. Right now it's just a waiting game," Fenton sighed.  
  
Frank pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers as he spoke. "Still, I'd have someone run a check on the girls that work in the apartment office. They have access, they're friends of Vanessa's and they live close, so they can monitor their schedules, and they were at the party today."  
  
"Already taken care of, son," Fenton returned, patting his son on the back. "I may be getting older, but I'm still just as sharp as I used to be."  
  
"Sorry, Dad," Frank grinned. "Just throwing out ideas."  
  
Just then, Joe and Vanessa entered the church. Noticing his father, Frank, and Nancy talking, he whispered a quick apology to Vanessa and walked up to the group. "Any news?" he asked, hopefully.  
  
Fenton shook his head no. "Nothing you don't already know."  
  
"How's Vanessa holding up?" Frank asked, concerned for both of them.  
  
"As well as can be expected," Joe answered. "Oh, that reminds me. I need a favor," he informed his brother. "I know it's last minute and disrupts your plans, but is there anyway that Vanessa or I could stay at your house tonight?" he questioned, throwing an apologetic look in Nancy's direction.  
  
Frank looked confused as he tried to figure out the reasoning behind Joe's request. "That's not a problem, but why?"  
  
"Tradition, big brother. The groom's not allowed to see the bride the night before or the day of the wedding, until she walks down the aisle," Joe smiled. "It'd be kind of hard to do with both of us staying at Mom and Dad's. The original plan was I was going to stay there for the night, and Vanessa would stay at the apartment. But now, that's out of the question. And with all of Vanessa's family in town staying at her Mom's place, you're it."  
  
"Why don't you let Vanessa stay with us," Nancy suggested. "She's giving me a ride to the party tonight, and that way she doesn't have to drive all the way back across town by herself. Plus, I'd really like to get to know her better."  
  
Joe's face broke into a relieved grin. "Great. I'll go let her know that everything's taken care of." He checked his watch and glanced about the space. Rubbing his hands together he announced, "Looks like everyone is here. So, let's get this show on the road."  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
"Van, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Frank teased. "I mean, there's still plenty of time left to back out now if you want." The Hardy's, Nancy, Andrea Bender, Vanessa's mother, and the various members of the wedding party sat around a massive table at a local restaurant, enjoying a lovely meal and animated conversation, despite the afternoon's events.  
  
Nancy playfully swatted her boyfriend on the arm. "I can't believe you just said that," she told him.  
  
"What?" Frank asked, shrugging his shoulders. His eyes twinkled with laughter as he continued, "I'm just making sure she knows what she's getting herself into."  
  
Vanessa shook her head and grinned. "I learned how to ignore him years ago," she informed Nancy. "Besides, I'm sure Joe will ask you the same question when you and Frank finally decide to take the plunge."  
  
"Yeah, and when might that be, Frank?" Joe winked, returning to the table from the men's room, and joining the conversation. He watched in amusement as his brother squirmed while formulating his reply.  
  
"Let's get through one life altering event at a time, please," Frank pleaded.  
  
Nancy patted Frank's hand and smiled. "What he's trying to say is, there's no rush. I never exactly imagined myself walking down the aisle in a maternity gown, so I'd prefer to wait until after the baby is born."  
  
"I never did get a chance to tell you congratulations earlier, Nan," Joe apologized. He lifted his glass of champagne in the air in a toast. "So, congratulations."  
  
"Thank you," Nancy said, gracefully accepting his congratulations.  
  
"What are the congratulations for Joe?" Callie inquired from her seat next to the other bridesmaids, a little further down the table. "You're the one that's getting married."  
  
Joe glanced expectantly at Nancy and Frank, as did a few other guests that had heard Callie ask her question. "It's your call," Joe told them.  
  
Frank raised his eyebrows at Nancy, silently asking her what they should say. In response, Nancy leaned over and whispered in Frank's ear, "Let's not make this about us. This weekend belongs to them."  
  
Nodding, Frank waved off his brother. "This is your night guys, not ours."  
  
"What's going on?" Callie asked once more.  
  
Joe leaned over and whispered something in Vanessa's ear that Nancy and Frank couldn't hear. Whatever Joe said made Vanessa smile and she nodded her head in agreement. He tapped his spoon on the glass in front of him to get everyone's attention. "I've got an announcement to make," he said, standing up.  
  
"Damn him, he's doing it anyway," Frank muttered to Nancy, with a small smile playing across his lips.  
  
"And you thought he always had to be the center of attention," Nancy teasingly whispered back.  
  
Once everyone's eyes were trained on him, Joe began to speak. "My dear brother over there," Joe said, pointing his glass in Frank's direction, "has some exciting news to share. In his infinite wisdom, he told me that this night belongs to me and Vanessa. Well, he's wrong. I think this night is about family, old and new. So with that in mind, I'd like to say that," pausing for dramatic effect, a broad grin crept across Joe's face before he continued, "I'm going to be an uncle!"  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
The rehearsal dinner having broken up a few minutes earlier, the two couples stood outside in the parking lot, telling their respective significant others goodbye.  
  
Her arms wrapped around Frank's neck, Nancy placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I'll see you when we get home later tonight."  
  
Frank returned her kiss then spoke solemnly. "Nan, if something should happen tonight, don't be the hero, okay? Call me and 911, but don't put yourself in any danger, please."  
  
Nancy lightly laughed, "I'm not sure I can fight my natural instincts," she informed him, "but I'll try. Besides, hopefully you're worrying over nothing."  
  
"I hope so, too," Frank answered. "But still, call me if anything goes down."  
  
"You'll be the first person I call," she promised.  
  
A similar, yet markedly different, conversation was happening a few feet away.  
  
"You'll call me if anything, and I mean anything, happens, right?" Joe asked Vanessa, his forehead pressed against hers.  
  
"I promise," she replied. She pressed her lips to Joe's and whispered between kisses, "You be good tonight."  
  
Joe grinned at Vanessa's words. "I will," he promised. His arms wrapped securely around her waist he pulled back and stared into her eyes. "You know, the next time I see you, you'll be walking down the aisle."  
  
"I can't wait," Vanessa whispered. "This time tomorrow we'll be Mr. and Mrs."  
  
The moment was broken as Frank tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Ready?" Frank asked.  
  
"Almost," Joe responded to his brother. He gave Vanessa one last resounding kiss before pulling away. "I love you."  
  
"Love you, too," Vanessa sincerely replied. "See you tomorrow." 


	10. Chapter 10: The Parties

The bar that Callie had chosen to start off the evening was bustling with energy. Callie, along with Vanessa, Nancy, and several other girls that had attended the brunch that morning were crowded around a table at the edge of the dance floor. Music blared from the speakers on stage, but the din of the girl's laughter could be heard above the music.  
  
"To your last night of freedom!" Callie shouted toasting Vanessa, raising her glass high in the air.  
  
"Here, here," the other girls chorused, also raising their glasses in Vanessa's honor.  
  
Nancy silently sipped her water as she surveyed the crowd. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Earlier, Fenton had informed Nancy that he had undercover officers that would be following the party from bar to bar. Going over the description he had given her in her head, she scanned the crowd and searched for their location. She noticed two men, in their late twenties, standing at the bar, intently watching the group, but also keeping a careful eye on the other bar patrons. Making a mental note to check in with the officers later, she took another sip of her water before turning to Vanessa. "Cute veil," she laughed, fingering the material that fell well past Vanessa's shoulders.  
  
Vanessa touched the veil, garishly decorated by her bridesmaids that designated her as the bride to be and groaned. "I'll be sure to make sure you get one just as lovely when it's your turn."  
  
"No, thanks!" Nancy laughed. "But I think I'll make one for Bess's bachelorette party in September. She'll kill me, but it'll so be worth it."  
  
Just then, a waitress appeared at Vanessa's side. She set the drink in front of Vanessa and told her, "That's from the gentleman in the booth over there," she said, pointing to four handsome young men. "They said congratulations."  
  
Vanessa blushed as she accepted the drink. They had only been at the bar for little over an hour, and this was the third drink she had been bought by cute guys in the bar. "I like being the bride!" she laughed. "I should have a bachelorette party every weekend."  
  
The girls at the table all laughed at Vanessa's statement. "Why don't we just take turns borrowing the veil?" quipped Vanessa's friend Laurie. "We'd never have another bar tab again!"  
  
Laughter subsiding, each of the girls returned to their previous conversations. Downing the last of her drink, Callie leaned across the table and looked at Nancy. "So," she said, eyeing her carefully, "think you and Frank will be walking down the aisle anytime soon?"  
  
Vanessa held up her hand in protest. "Callie, don't start," she firmly told her friend.  
  
Nancy waved her hand at Vanessa, "It's okay," she told her. Turning back to face Callie, she stared at the blonde in front of her and said, "There's not been a date set, no. But," she smiled sweetly, "I've always liked the idea of a June wedding. So, I'm guessing this time next year."  
  
"Unbelievable," Callie snorted at Nancy's remarks. "Seven years with him, and I never got a ring. Yet, he knocks you up, and wedding bells are already starting to chime."  
  
"Callie!" Vanessa chided her friend, not believing she had said such a thing.  
  
"Excuse me," Nancy said, standing up. She pushed back her chair and made her way through the crowd toward the ladies' room.  
  
Vanessa glared at her best friend before standing up to go after Nancy. "I can't believe you just said that to her. I swear Callie Shaw, that had better be the alcohol talking. And that's still not even a good excuse for what you just did."  
  
A few moments later Vanessa found Nancy leaning over the counter in the bathroom. She walked up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" she asked softly.  
  
Nancy nodded and raised her head. She managed a small smile as she met Vanessa's reflection in the mirror. "It's my fault," she said. "I baited her. I should've just kept my mouth shut. Damn hormones," she chuckled slightly.  
  
Vanessa laughed along with Nancy and shook her head. "She still had no right to say what she did."  
  
"It's okay, really," Nancy replied. "Until she moves on, she'll always see me as the enemy."  
  
"Well it still doesn't make it right. Especially since you played absolutely no part whatsoever in their breakup," Vanessa countered.  
  
"No, it doesn't," Nancy agreed, "But I have what she wants, so I guess I'll just have to learn to be the bigger person and not give her any reason to say anything."  
  
"Come on," Vanessa said, throwing her arm around Nancy's shoulders, "I think I need another drink."  
  
Nancy moaned good-naturedly. "What I wouldn't give for one right now," she laughed.  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
Across town at Frank's condo, the beer was flowing freely and the boys were engrossed in a lively game of poker.  
  
"I can't believe you actually got Vanessa to marry you," Biff Hooper laughed, as he dealt the cards for the next hand.  
  
Joe leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his neck. "What can I say?" he laughed. "I'm irresistible."  
  
The group at the table guffawed at Joe's comment. "That's what's gotten you in trouble," Frank said, eyeing his cards. He threw two chips down on the table and turned to his brother for confirmation. "Am I wrong?" he asked.  
  
"What's going on?" Chet Morton, another one of Joe's childhood friends, piped up.  
  
Frank took a sip of his drink and quickly filled the rest of the group in on the day's events. When he was finished, the others looked at Joe in amazement.  
  
"Wow," Tony Prito whistled when Frank was done.  
  
"That's an understatement," Phil Cohen commented. He turned to Frank and offered, "If you can get your hands on the serial numbers on the surveillance equipment, let me know and I'll see if I can help you track down where they came from."  
  
"Thanks, buddy," Frank replied. "I'll talk to Con first thing in the morning, and see what he can give me."  
  
"Joe, you in?" Biff asked, changing the subject. The mood in the room had become a little too somber, and he wanted to get the party back on track.  
  
Joe eyed his cards carefully. Placing them face down on the table he threw a few more chips into the pot. "I call."  
  
Frank studied his brother's expression intently. "He's bluffing," Frank declared, taking another swig of beer. He had long since folded his hand and was watching the showdown between Biff and Joe.  
  
Joe shrugged his shoulders, but didn't comment.  
  
"I don't know," interjected Tony, studying Joe's features. "He looks pretty confident."  
  
Chet took a long puff on his cigar, as he considered the debate. "I think he's bluffing, too," he finally commented.  
  
Joe finally spoke, "So what's it gonna be, Hooper? You in or you out?"  
  
The tall muscular blonde leaned back in his chair and focused on Joe's calm expression. After a brief internal debate, he threw his cards down on the table and declared, "I fold."  
  
"Just so you know. Frank, Chet, I wasn't bluffing." Joe grinned as he flipped over the cards and revealed to the others a Full House; two Queens and three nines. "And for that, I think you owe me another beer," he smiled at his brother.  
  
"Fine," Frank said, rising from the poker table. "Anyone else?"  
  
"I'll take another," Tony said.  
  
Frank nodded and headed towards the kitchen to retrieve the drinks. Halfway across the living room, he paused at the sound of the doorbell ringing. He turned back towards the guys at the table. "Joe, you might want to get that," he instructed. "I have a feeling that it's for you."  
  
Disappearing into the kitchen Frank laughed to himself as he heard Joe's excited cries coming from the living room. The entertainment had arrived. 


	11. Chapter 11: Dangerous Drinks

"What do you want this time?" Nancy asked Vanessa. The two girls were at the bar, waiting on the bartender to take their drink orders. "My treat."  
  
"Hmmm," Vanessa murmured, considering her choices. "I think I'll have another Cosmopolitan," she answered. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem," Nancy replied, flagging down the bartender. "One Cosmopolitan for the bride here, and a ginger ale for me," she ordered.  
  
"Designated driver?" the bartender asked as he pulled down two glasses.  
  
"Something like that," Nancy responded over the loud music.  
  
An attractive brunette saddled up to the bar next to Vanessa. Nancy eyed her warily, ever on her guard. "Excuse me," the girl apologized. "Just need a drink, our waitress is taking forever!"  
  
"Sure," Nancy replied, moving over slightly to make room for the girl. As they waited for their drinks to be made, Vanessa and Nancy turned away from the bar to watch the crowd. "What do you think the boys are up to right now?" Vanessa asked.  
  
Nancy flashed a smile at Vanessa after consulting her watch. "A six pack apiece," she laughed.  
  
"I wouldn't doubt it. I know Joe wanted a stripper," Vanessa confided in Nancy. "Did Frank get him one?" she asked curiously.  
  
Before she could answer Nancy felt a tap on her shoulder. "Six- fifty," the bartender said, motioning to the drinks in front of her. She quickly fished some money out of her purse and turned back to Vanessa and handed her a bright red drink.  
  
"He said that Joe guilted him into it. But it's only because Callie got you one, or so I've been told." Nancy answered, in response to Vanessa's question.  
  
Vanessa laughed, sipping her concoction. "She did. Said it was tradition, and I couldn't refuse. I don't know when or where though."  
  
"Ah, the element of surprise," Nancy laughed. "I hope he's cute."  
  
"So do I!" Vanessa agreed. "I've been saving up my one dollar bills all week long!" she told Nancy with a wink. She took another long sip of her drink and sighed. "These are my favorites."  
  
"Careful," Nancy warned, with a smile. "You do have somewhere important to be tomorrow."  
  
"I know," she smiled back. "Just give me a tall glass of water and a few aspirin when you toss me in the guest room tonight, and I'll be fine."  
  
"Come on, let's get back to the table," Nancy suggested, pushing away from the bar.  
  
"Okay," Vanessa replied. She started to follow Nancy, but was suddenly having difficulty putting one foot in front of the other. 'Reached my limit,' she thought to herself. "Hey, Nan," she called out, but before she could finish her sentence, her legs gave way and she slumped to the floor unconscious.  
  
Nancy spun around at the sound of Vanessa's voice, and watched in shock as her friend hit the ground. She pushed her way through the crowd and knelt down at Vanessa's side. The two men Nancy had seen earlier were at her side within seconds.  
  
"What happened, Ms. Drew?" one of the men asked, kneeling next to Nancy.  
  
"I don't know," Nancy cried. "She probably just had too much to drink, but it happened awfully fast." She gently shook Vanessa's shoulders in an attempt to get a response. "Van! Wake up, Vanessa!"  
  
"We're going to take her to the car," the second man said. Nancy nodded mutely as she watched them carefully lift Vanessa into their arms and pushed through the curious crowd, towards the front door.  
  
Nancy noticed Vanessa's glass lying on the floor next to where she had lain. Amazingly, the glass was still intact. Nancy carefully picked up the glass and looked for any signs of a dissolved substance, or something that would explain why Vanessa reacted the way she had. Not visibly noticing anything, Nancy brought the glass to her nose and sniffed. The smell of bitter almonds hit her nostrils immediately. She knew that smell all to well. Someone had put liquid cyanide in Vanessa's drink!  
  
Glass in hand, she quickly pushed through the crowded bar and made her way to the front entrance. Nancy pushed open the heavy oak doors, and stepped out into the warm night air. She spotted the men that were sent by Fenton standing next to a dark blue sedan, which was parked in the fire lane.  
  
"Take her to Bayport Memorial," Nancy demanded. She handed over the glass to the taller of the two and informed them. "Someone slipped cyanide in her drink. Call Mr. Hardy and have him meet me at the hospital. I'll make the other phone calls."  
  
Still in disbelief, she as watched the car sped out of the parking lot. After saying a quick prayer for her new friend, Nancy rushed back into the bar. "You!" she cried, pointing to the bartender that had served them. "What did you put in my friend's drink?!"  
  
The cute bartender held up his hands in protest. "Me? I didn't do anything."  
  
"Don't lie to me," Nancy exclaimed. "My friend's been drugged! Now, what did you put in her drink."  
  
"I swear, I didn't put anything in her drink!" he replied nervously. "But someone else did. The girl that was standing next to you, said she was with the party and thought she'd liven it up with a little liquid x."  
  
Nancy stared in shock at the man in front of her. "The girl wasn't with us! And it wasn't liquid ecstasy! Where did she go?"  
  
"She disappeared back into the crowd. Look, I'm sorry. I thought she was with you guys. I thought it was a little harmless fun," he apologized profusely.  
  
"Well it wasn't," Nancy said angrily. She quickly pushed her way through the crowded bar and scanned for any signs of the girl she had seen earlier. After making a fruitless search of the entire bar, she headed back towards the entrance. Frustrated, Nancy slammed open the door of the club, and stepped out into the warm night air.  
  
Opening her purse to retrieve her cell phone and Vanessa's car keys, which had thankfully been handed over earlier in the evening, Nancy swore as the entire contents of her purse fell out and on the ground. "Dammit!" She was too busy picking up her belongings that she didn't hear someone walk up behind her.  
  
"Nancy?" came Callie's voice, apparently all earlier conversation forgotten. "Where'd Van disappear to? We need to get to the next stop before eleven thirty."  
  
Nancy took a deep breath as she shoved the items back in her purse. She stood and turned to face Callie. "There's not going to be a next stop," Nancy informed her.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Callie inquired. "Of course there is. We're heading to ladies' night at the Diamond Club for the evening's entertainment."  
  
"Callie, Vanessa's been drugged. She's on her way to the hospital. It's pretty serious," Nancy said, more calmly than she felt.  
  
"What?" the pretty blonde cried in shock. "How?"  
  
"Someone slipped something in her drink," Nancy replied. "Go tell the others that the party is over. I've got to call Frank and Joe and let them know."  
  
"Oh my God," Callie replied, her handing flying to her mouth. "Is she okay?"  
  
"She will be. I hope," Nancy said, praying that she wasn't wrong. "Now go tell the other girls."  
  
Callie nodded wordlessly and slowly made her way back inside the loud bar.  
Opening her cell phone, Nancy's hands trembled slightly as she pressed the buttons. 'If only I hadn't turned my back to the bar,' her inner voice scolded her, 'this never would've happened.' 


	12. Chapter 12: The Waiting Game

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay, guys. I hit a major case of writer's block. Plus I had a vacation and lots of work stress thrown in for good measure so that killed any time I had to work on the story. I'll try to get more out soon, but I'm not making any promises. Let me know what you think of the new chapter. Now, on with the story…..  
  
"Oh man, that was awesome," Joe smiled, as he re-entered the living room, plopping down on the couch.   
  
"Glad you enjoyed yourself, little brother," Frank said, returning his smile, and patting his brother on the back.   
  
Biff laughed as he popped open another beer. "I want one just like her, when it's my turn," he instructed his friends.  
  
"I think you need to work on finding a girlfriend first, Hoop," Chet teased, taking another bite of his pizza.  
  
Biff shot a mock glare across the living room at his friend. Before he could respond, a cell phone rang, interrupting the conversation.  
  
"That's mine," Frank replied, pulling the cell phone off his belt. "Hello?" he answered.  
  
"Frank, it's me," came Nancy's voice over the other end of the line.  
  
"Nan, is everything alright?" Frank asked, immediately worried.  
  
Joe's ears perked up at the sound of Nancy's name and he leaned forward on the couch expectantly.  
  
She sighed deeply before answering him. "No, it's not," she said. "Grab Joe and meet me at Bayport Memorial."  
  
"What happened?" Frank asked urgently.  
  
"Vanessa's been drugged, Frank. Someone slipped liquid cyanide in her drink," she softly replied.  
  
"We're on our way," Frank promised, ending the phone call. He stood and ran his hands over his worried face and told the gang, "Sorry guys, the party is over. We've got to go."  
  
"Frank, what's going on?" Joe asked nervously, worry lines evident in his features.  
  
Frank stared solemnly at his brother for a brief second, while he tried to figure out the best way to break the news.  
  
"Frank, you're scaring me," Joe said, standing from his seat on the couch. "What happened?"  
  
"That was Nancy," he said, speaking slowly and carefully. "Vanessa had something slipped in her drink and she's been taken to the hospital."  
  
Several gasps could be heard from the other men in the room. Eyes wide with shock, Joe stared open-mouthed at his brother for a moment before he could speak. "What was in the drink?"  
  
Letting out a deep sigh, Frank answered his brother as calmly as he could. "Liquid cyanide."  
  
At Frank's words, Joe's legs gave out and he fell back against the couch. "No," he whispered. He knew that liquid cyanide could be deadly in the right amount.   
  
"C'mon, Joe," Frank said, grabbing his brother by the arm and dragging him to his feet. "We've got to get to the hospital."  
  
Joe could only nod mutely, as he was dragged by his brother towards the garage. 'This can't be happening!' he thought. 'She has to be alright,'  
  
Frank opened the passenger door to the car, and helped his shell-shocked brother inside. He quickly made his way to the driver=s side and climbed in. As he backed out of the garage, he patted Joe's knee and promised, "It's going to be okay, Joe. It has to be."  
  
"Thank god," Nancy muttered to herself as she rushed into the emergency room at Bayport Memorial Hospital. She immediately spotted Fenton Hardy speaking to the two men he had working undercover at the bar. Striding confidently up to the three men she asked, "Any word on her condition?"  
  
Fenton shook his head no in response. "Unfortunately, not." Motioning to the taller man to his left, Fenton said, "Dave here tells me that you noticed that Vanessa's drink was laced with liquid cyanide."  
  
Nancy ran her hands through her hair as she confirmed what Mr. Hardy already knew. "I did. I just wish I had paid more careful attention to the girl that slipped it in her drink."  
  
"You saw the person that drugged her?" Fenton asked, disbelievingly.   
  
Nancy sighed as she started to explain. "Vanessa and I went up to the bar to order some drinks. While we were standing there a girl with brown hair, probably in her mid to late twenties walked up beside us. She apologized for squeezing in saying that her waitress was taking too long and she just wanted a drink. Her excuse sounded plausible enough to me at the time. Now I know better."  
  
After pausing momentarily to regain her focus, Nancy continued her story. AOnce the girl walked up to the bar, Vanessa and I turned away to face the crowd. I turned back around to grab our drinks when the bartender tapped me on the shoulder. I didn't notice it then, but the girl was nowhere around when I paid for our drinks. The next thing I know, Van's on the ground."  
  
"That's where we came in," the man Fenton had introduced as Dave spoke. "We picked her up and took her out to the car. We thought she might've had a little too much to drink, so we took her outside to get some fresh air."  
  
Nancy nodded her head and picked the story back up. "I saw her glass on the ground. Amazingly enough it hadn't broken. That's when the sweet almond smell hit me. I ran outside and told them to get her to the hospital immediately, that someone had slipped liquid cyanide in her drink. I then went back inside and confronted the bartender. He denied putting anything in her drink, but said he witnessed the girl that had walked up next to us put what he thought to be liquid ecstasy in her drink. She claimed to be with the bridal party and told him she was a friend who wanted to liven up the party."  
  
Nancy could see the anger boiling up inside Fenton as he mulled over the information she had revealed. "That bartender will be out of business first thing in the morning! And the bar itself won't be too far behind it, if I have anything to say about it," he swore.  
  
Just then the emergency room doors swung open and Frank and Joe ran inside. "How is she?" Joe demanded.  
  
"There's no news yet, son," Fenton told Joe gently. "We're still waiting for the doctors to finish treating her before we'll hear anything."  
  
Joe swore violently at the lack of news. "How in the hell did this happen?"  
  
The information was quickly relayed to Joe and after letting it sink in he rubbed his eyes and turned to Nancy. "What did she look like?"  
  
"Mid to late twenties I'm guessing. Light, wavy brown hair that fell about here," she informed him, pointing to a spot mid-way down her upper arm. "Pretty, friendly face really. Thin, my height - maybe an inch or two taller."  
  
"Do you know who it is?" Frank quizzed his brother.  
  
Joe closed his eyes as a mental picture formed in his mind. "Call the Bureau and let them know they have a criminal in their midst. It's Connie Matthews." 


	13. Chapter 13: Diagnosis

"Joe, are you sure about that?" Fenton demanded.

"Dad, I'm positive. We went through Quantico together and we work in the same office. I see her almost every day, so I know what she looks like," Joe replied in frustration.

Fenton nodded. Letting out a deep breath, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and told the others, "I'm going to go make some phone calls."

"Joe, I'm sorry. I wish I had seen what was going on so I could've prevented this," Nancy apologized profusely. "The place was a madhouse, and I honestly thought she was just at the bar for a drink."

Joe looked straight at Nancy, but his eyes didn't meet hers. Saying nothing in response, he turned his back and walked a few feet away. "Three damn detectives in the bar and not one of them could stop it!" he yelled, hands up in the air.

Nancy's face visibly paled at Joe's harsh words. She was already mentally beating herself up for not preventing the situation and his comment hammered the feeling home. She bit her lip to keep the tears from forming and looked at her boyfriend for guidance.

Frank strode swiftly over to his brother and grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Joe, I know you're going crazy with worry right now, but you cannot and I repeat not, take this out on Nancy or the undercover officers. You ought to be thanking Nancy and these two men for reacting quickly and getting her here in time to save her life!"

Joe's blue eyes raged with fury as he stared at his brother. "Before I say something I regret, I'm going to call Van's mom and let her know what happened." With that, he spun on his heel and walked out the emergency room doors.

Frank sighed in frustration. He knew that if it had happened to Nancy, he probably would've reacted the same way, but it still didn't excuse Joe's behavior. Deciding to give his brother some time to cool off before he approached him, he turned back to Nancy. He held out his arms, and she stepped gratefully into them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest.

"Hey," he whispered, tilting her chin up to look him in the eye, "there's nothing to be sorry about. I'm sure once he calms down, he'll realize that your actions probably saved her life."

"But, if I had just..." Nancy's thoughts trailed off as Frank pressed a finger to her lips.

"Don't even go there, Nan," he told her softly. "You can't beat yourself up over the what-if's."

She knew he was right, but that didn't stop the torrent of thoughts and images running through her mind. Frank's voice interrupted her inner monologue. "I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good," Nancy responded. "I'm just going to sit down for a few minutes. Too much excitement in one day," she smiled tersely.

Frank placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before unwrapping his arms from around her waist. "I'll be right back."

Before Frank could walk away to locate the coffee machine, a doctor appeared in the waiting area. "Joe Hardy?" he called out.

At the doctor's news, Nancy went in search of Fenton Hardy. She found him in a nearby corridor heatedly speaking with someone on his cell phone. She motioned him back into the waiting area and joined the other's waiting for the doctor's news.

"I'll go get him," Frank answered, and quickly made his wait out into the dark night. He found his sitting on the curb, head in his hands. "Joe, get back inside. The doctor's asking for you."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Joe jumped to his feet and raced back inside the hospital. "How is she?" he asked.

"I'm Dr. Sykes, the admitting physician. Ms. Bender is doing extremely well, considering. She was given oxygen and an iv of sodium nitrate and sodium thiosulfate, and she responded well to both. Her vital signs are returning to normal and her breathing is better, although we still have her on oxygen to clear the lungs," he explained.

Joe closed his eyes and let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "But she's going to be okay?" he prompted.

"She'll be fine. Barring any complications she should be released in the morning. She's going to need to take it easy for the next few days, and not overexert herself. She might have a lingering cough or a sore throat for a week, but other than that, she's in the clear," Dr. Sykes warned. "She will be able to walk down the aisle tomorrow, just take it easy on the dance floor at the reception," he smiled.

"How did you know we're getting married tomorrow?" Joe asked, his face a mask of confusion.

Dr. Sykes let out a hearty laugh. "That's one persistent young woman that's back there. As soon as she could talk, all she said was 'I have to get married tomorrow.'"

"That's my Vanessa," Joe replied, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Can I see her now?"

The doctor nodded, "Ask the nurse at the window to take you back." After Joe left the group, the doctor turned to Nancy. "I hear you're the one that discovered she had been exposed to the cyanide."

"Yes, sir. I'm just glad I got her here in time," she responded with a grateful smile.

"You did just fine. Although, the amount of cyanide in her system wasn't enough to cause death, it was definitely enough to cause severe respiratory and pulmonary problems. Your quick thinking prevented those complications from happening," the doctor informed her.

Frank wrapped his arm around Nancy's waist and pulled her close to his side. He looked down at her and gave her a look that said, 'I told you that you did the right thing'.

Fenton cleared his throat and furrowed his eyebrows. "Doctor, are you suggesting that whoever spiked her drink knew just the right amount to give her?"

"I think so," he replied. "There wasn't enough in her system to be fatal, although the amount of alcohol present in her system might have aided in the absorption of the chemical."

"Thank you," Fenton said, extending his hand to the doctor.

Dr. Sykes shook Fenton's hand and instructed the group, "You all look like you need rest. I suggest you go home and get some. She'll be fine."

Once the doctor had disappeared behind the emergency room doors, Nancy, Frank, and Fenton all let out a collective sigh of relief. "Thank god," Nancy said, being the first to speak.

"You said it," Frank replied, dropping a kiss on top of her head. He turned to look at his father and asked, "Did you talk to anyone at the Bureau yet?"

Fenton shook his head no. "I only had time to call Con and fill him in on what had happened. Nancy came to get me before I could make a second call. But Con assured me that he would dispatch a unit to Ms. Matthew's address, as soon as he hung up with me."

"I can only hope that it's going to be that easy," Frank replied, with a grim look on his face. "She's an FBI agent for crying out loud. I seriously doubt that she went back home after her little adventure tonight."

"Well, wherever she is, we're going to find her," Fenton declared. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go home, get in touch with some more contacts and reassure your very worried mother that everything is okay."

Fenton turned the undercover officers and thanked them profusely for their help. Saying goodbye to Frank and Nancy he told them, "I'll call you if I get any news tonight. If not, I'll see you at the church tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Frank and Nancy said in unison.


	14. Chapter 14: Stressed Out

Author's Notes: PLEASE don't flame me! I know it's been over a year since I updated. In that time I moved, changed jobs, got engaged, planned on moving again, and called off an engagment... so things were a little hectic around here. I did hit a case of writer's block with this, but once I started on my other story _Filling In the Blanks, _my muse returned for this one. I've gotten a few more chapters pounded out, and I replaced Chapter 13 and all of it's funy formatting. I'll try to update more, just please be patient. I will never completely abandon a story. There's usually a good reason if I let them lie dormant for a while.

Anyway -- enjoy Chapter 14! Feedback is always appreciated:)

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_Unexpected Developments_

CHAPTER 14:

Joe walked quietly into Vanessa's room. He paused at the door, taking in her small frame in the big bed. Other than an oxygen mask hiding her beautiful face, she looked fine. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to resting peacefully. Joe walked up to the side of her bed and gently picked up his hand in hers.

At the contact, Vanessa's eyes opened and she saw Joe's worried face staring back at her. Through the mask, she protested weakly, "You're not supposed to see me until tomorrow!"

Joe laughed at his fiancé's comment. "Silly," he replied. "Do you think anything could stop me from seeing you after the phone call I got? I had to make sure you were alright."

"Sorry to worry you," she said, a hint of a smile visible behind the foggy mask. "What happened?"

Joe sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed. He pushed a rogue lock of hair off her face and answered softly, "Someone put something in your drink."

Vanessa's eyes searched his questioningly. "Who?"

"It was the girl that stepped up to the bar while you and Nancy were waiting on your drinks. Nancy gave me a pretty good description of her, and I'm pretty sure it was Special Agent Matthews." He patted Vanessa's hand as he continued, "But don't you worry, there are a lot of people out there right now tracking her down."

"Tell Nancy thank you," she instructed him, and Joe nodded that he would. "So it's over?" she whispered.

"It will be nothing more than a bad dream, as soon as they pick her up," he said, gathering her in his arms for a hug. "God, Van. I'm just so happy your okay. I don't know what I would've done if ..."

"Don't even finish that thought," Vanessa smiled as she put her hand on Joe's cheek. "You can't get rid of me that easy," she whispered.

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"Take me home?" Nancy suggested to Frank, heavily leaning on him for support. "It's been a long day."

"Sure. Give me Van's keys. I'll leave her car with Joe, that way he has a way to get home when the nurses kick him out tonight," Frank smiled, knowing it would take an army of nurses to get Joe to leave Vanessa's side.

Nancy placed the car keys in Frank's hand and told him, "Tell Vanessa I'm glad she's okay."

"Will do," Frank replied.

Nancy watched Frank as he exited the waiting room. Making her way to a chair to sit, she realized just how exhausted she really was. The day's events had taken a toll on her and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for hours. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, her head resting against the cool tile of the wall. Only seconds passed, or so it seemed, until Frank reappeared at her side.

He smiled down at her and held out his hand, "Ready?"

Nancy opened her eyes reluctantly and she placed her hand in his outstretched one. "More than ready," she replied, as she was helped to her feet.

As she stood, the world suddenly began to spin around her. Black spots dotted her vision, and she sunk her fingers into Frank's arm for support. "Frank, I think I'm gonna..." was all she managed to say before she went limp in his arms.

Reacting quickly, Frank managed to hold on to her before she could hit the floor. "Nurse!" he called out desperately. Assuming the worse, Frank heart raced as the thought of Nancy being drugged as well ran through his mind.

A nurse quickly ran from behind the counter and helped Frank lower Nancy back into her chair. "What happened?" the nurse, whose name tag read Sue, asked. She checked Nancy's pulse as she waited for Frank to answer.

"I don't know," Frank stammered in confusion. "She was fine, and then she just passed out." He took a deep breath to calm himself and informed the nurse that Nancy was pregnant.

Just then, Nancy's eyes fluttered open, and quickly closed once more. She pressed a hand to her forehead and asked "What happened?"

Frank knelt by Nancy's chair. "You just about gave me a heart attack, that's what happened." Letting out a deep sigh he continued, "You passed out on me."

The nurse smiled at the worried man and his girlfriend. "Let me go grab the doctor and have him check her out."

Frank nodded, his eyes never leaving Nancy. She looked pale and her forehead felt clammy to his touch.

"I don't feel so good," she moaned lightly.

"The doctor will be right out," Frank assured her. "Maybe you and Van can share a room," he laughed worriedly.

Nancy shook her head, trying to shake the woozy feeling that had suddenly overcome her moments before. "You're not funny," she retorted lightly, resting her head once more against the cool tile of the wall.

Smoothing back her hair from her face he chuckled slightly once more, "And here I thought that you loved me for my wicked sense of humor." The humor left his voice when he asked, "Nan, is it possible you were slipped something, too?"

"I don't think so," she responded, eyes still shut. "If I had, don't you think it would've hit me before now?"

Before Frank could reply, the nurse reappeared with the doctor that they had spoken with earlier. The older man glanced down at Frank and Nancy and asked gently, "What happened?"

"I passed out," Nancy informed him succinctly.

A bemused grin passed over the doctor's face as he looked down at Nancy. "I have a pretty good suspicion that the stress of the day has just taken its toll on you, given your condition. However, let's take you back and run a few tests just to make sure."

Nancy sighed, "Is that really necessary?"

Frank looked pointedly at Nancy, "Yes, it's really necessary. When you get your medical license then you can decide whether or not you want to run a few tests."

Nancy opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it. "Fine," she replied wearily, "lead the way."


	15. Chapter 15: Shredded Dreams

_Alright boys and girls... chapter 15 is up for your enjoyment. :) This one is rather long, but I thought you guys deserved it for welcoming me back with open arms last week. Not to mention that I'llbe on vacation next weekend, andI won't get a chance to post for a little bit. So, let me know what you think! Enjoy!_

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A soft knock on the hospital door, interrupted the tender moment that Joe and Vanessa were sharing. Frank poked his head in the door and asked, "Can I come in?"

Joe glanced up, surprised to see his brother standing there. "I thought you and Nancy left already."

"Well, we tried to. But then she went and passed out on me. Dr. Sykes took her back for some tests, and I couldn't stand pacing the waiting room by myself, so I thought I'd check on you two," Frank responded, entering the room.

"Is she okay?" Joe and Vanessa asked in unison.

Frank nodded yes. "I'm pretty sure she's fine. I think today just took too much out of her, and that's why she passed out. The doctor wanted to run the tests to be sure, and of course she protested, but I insisted." Running a hand over his weary face, he let out a short laugh. "I think this being a father thing is going to end up killing me."

Joe chuckled at his brother's statement. "Just wait until the kid is actually born, Frank."

"God help me," Frank moaned good-naturedly. He walked over to the other side of the hospital bed and sat down. "How you holding up, kiddo?"

"Tired, but fine," Vanessa answered weakly. "I just want this whole nightmare to be over with."

Locking eyes with his brother, Frank replied for both of them. "We all do. But don't worry, we're taking care of it. I promise."

"Thank you," Vanessa replied sincerely. "I know you have a lot on your mind right now, Frank. I appreciate it."

Frank picked up Vanessa's hand, and smiled genuinely, "Hey, now – that's what family is for."

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A soft light emanated from the study into the darkness of the hallway, as Laura descended the staircase. As she reached the bottom step, she pulled her robe tighter around her, and headed towards the soft glow of the office. Pushing open the door, she found her husband, his back to her, scouring over open folders and files that littered his expansive cherry desk.

"Fenton," she said softly, as she stepped into the room, "it's three in the morning."

"I know," he replied, never looking up from the papers in front of him.

Laura stepped up behind his leather chair and placed her hands comfortingly on his large shoulders. "Honey, come to bed. You've done all you can tonight."

Fenton sighed, knowing his wife was right. He leaned back against her and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "We've got nothing," he informed her. "The prime suspect has already been detained and released. There is nothing to link her to what happened tonight, or to the stalking."

"Fenton, you will find something," she reassured her husband, as she kneaded the tight muscles in his shoulders. "Come to bed. You can try again first thing in the morning."

"I'll be up in a few minutes, I promise. I just want to go over a few things one last time before I call it a night," Fenton said.

Not taking no for an answer, Laura swiveled the chair her husband sat in, around to face her. She knelt down and searched Fenton's face with her eyes. "I'm scared to death for Joe and Vanessa too, honey," she informed him. "But you're not going to do either one of them any good if you can't function tomorrow."

"You're right," he conceded, as he stood up. He took his wife's hand in his, as he turned off the lamp on his desk. "Maybe things will look differently in the morning."

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Early the next morning, too early for her liking, Nancy rolled over in bed and discovered an empty space where Frank should've been. Sighing in disappointment, she reluctantly left the warm confines of the bed, to go in search of her missing boyfriend. She quietly padded down the stairs and followed the sounds of his voice into the kitchen.

She paused in the doorway and smiled in amusement as she watched him attempt to cook breakfast and talk on the phone at the same time. She watched, unseen, as he kept the phone tucked under his chin and unsuccessfully tried to pour the pancake batter into the hot griddle.

Nancy bit back a laugh as she heard him say, "Dad? If there's nothing else, can I call you back before I burn my house down?"

After he hung up the phone, Nancy snuck up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Need any help?"

Frank startled slightly at the sound of her voice. "You're supposed to be asleep," he pointed out.

Nancy shrugged her shoulders as she crossed the kitchen to retrieve some juice from the refrigerator. "Someone had to come rescue you from an early morning disaster," she laughed.

"Nice, Nan. And here I was going to pamper you by bringing you breakfast in bed," he teasingly pouted. "Just for that comment, it's cereal for you."

"Well, if you hadn't gotten off the phone with your father when you did, we both would be having cereal," she retorted with a grin. "Did he have any news?"

Frank sighed as he flipped the pancakes. "They actually picked up Connie last night at her house. Her sister claimed that she had been in her company all night and that they never left the house."

Nancy's eyebrows furrowed as she processed the information. "Did they take her in for questioning?"

Shaking his head yes, Frank continued, "She was released this morning on her own recognizance. They don't have anything to pin on her. She has an alibi, not an airtight one mind you, but she has one. And they haven't found anything to link her to the surveillance equipment yet, either."

"Damn," Nancy swore under her breath. "I was hoping for some good news this morning."

"Well, there might be," Frank interjected, turning to face Nancy.

"What?" she inquired, as she jumped up on the counter to sit.

Frank reached into the cabinet to grab two plates as he informed Nancy of the rest of the information. "It seems the other agent that Joe mentioned, Sheila Duval, called out sick this week."

"And?" Nancy prompted.

"And when they went by her home to question her, they discovered that she hadn't been home in a couple of days. Her roommate said that Sheila told her that she was going out of town for a few days," Frank explained.

"But when I gave Joe a description of the girl at the bar last night, he said it was Connie," Nancy interrupted.

"I know," Frank said. "Dad's in the process of getting their files. It could be that they have the same body type and Sheila disguised herself as Connie to throw us off track."

Nancy nodded her head slowly and chewed on her bottom lip. "That's a possibility, especially if she's had extensive undercover experience. Plus, she didn't have to look exactly like Connie, either. Just a general look would suffice."

"On the bright side, I called Joe earlier. Vanessa's being released in a few minutes," Frank smiled.

Nancy's face broke into a wide grin. "That's great news!" she exclaimed.

"You said it," Frank replied. He handed Nancy a plate of pancakes, before delving into his own stack. "You know, you really had me worried last night."

Giving him a sympathetic smile Nancy responded to his statement. "I'm sorry." She sighed as she absentmindedly poked at the food in front of her. "I guess I'm just going to have to face up to the fact that I'm not Super Woman like I think I am."

Frank chuckled lightly. "No you're not, but I love you anyway. I'm just glad you're okay, babe." His countenance turned serious and he looked Nancy dead in the eyes. "Please, promise me that you'll take it easy and we won't have anymore repeats of last night?"

"I'll do what I can," Nancy offered softly.

Frank reached over and cupped her chin in his hand. "I know it's against every fiber of your being, but you've got more than just yourself to worry about now," he reminded her gently.

"I know," she answered honestly. "Just give me a little time, Frank. This whole 'I'm going to be a mom thing' is still relatively new to me. I'm going to need time to adjust my whole way of thinking and acting."

Frank smiled softly at the woman in front of him. "I understand. I told Joe and Van last night when they took you back to run tests that this whole being a father thing was going to be the death of me. Then Joe had to go and remind me, 'Just wait til the kid is actually born, Frank'," he mimicked.

Nancy snorted, "He's right, you know." Shaking her head in amusement, she continued. "With us as his or her parents, I can only imagine the kind of trouble the kid's going to find."

"Like Dad said, we're going to learn first hand the real reason for gray hairs," Frank laughed. After a few more bites, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and glanced at the clock on the stove. "Okay, first we have to drop off Vanessa's things at her mom's house. Then we have to pick your dad up at the airport in 3 hours. We need to have everything with us, so we can go directly from the airport to the Mom and Dad's to get ready."

"Sounds like a plan," Nancy answered. "Give me about 30 minutes, and then we can hit the road."

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"Any more news?" Joe asked, as he stepped into his father's study. The waiting was driving him crazy. He wanted everything to be over with so he and Vanessa could enjoy their wedding day without being constantly on guard.

Fenton shook his head yes. "They still haven't located Sheila," he replied. "But they did track down the serial numbers on the video equipment. They were purchased with a money order and sent to a post office box in New York City. The name on the post office box is Elisha Alvud."

"Elisha Alvud?" Joe responded. He mulled over the name briefly before a smile flickered across his face. "Elisha Alvud is nothing more than an anagram of Sheila Duval. Not very bright, is she?"

Fenton chuckled slightly before responding, "Apparently she's not one of the Agency's best, no." He ran a hand over his worried face before continuing. "But, the fact remains that she's still at large."

"Well she's obviously in town," Joe countered. "Someone in Bayport has to have seen her." Suddenly Joe snapped his fingers. "Hand me the phone, please."

Fenton looked curiously at his youngest son, as he handed him the receiver. "What are you thinking?"

"I just remembered that Amber, the new secretary I mentioned, has gotten to be pretty good friends with Sheila. Maybe she knows where she's at," Joe informed him.

"It's worth a shot," Fenton admitted, as he watched Joe dial the familiar numbers.

Joe sat patiently as he could while the phone rang. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the call was answered. Putting the call on speaker phone he stood over his father's shoulder to speak. "Hey, Amber," he said smoothly. "It's Joe Hardy. I've got a favor to ask you."

"Sure, Joe," came the decidedly southern voice over the other end of the line. "What do you need?"

"Listen, I'm trying to get in touch with Agent Duval. I've got some notes for her on a case of mine she's working while I'm gone, and I can't seem to get a hold of her. Have you seen her recently?" Joe prodded.

"I saw her last night, actually. She called me after a sting, and let me tell you, she needs to stay blonde, brown hair just doesn't look right on her. Anyway, she asked me to meet her up at the new bar on Maple. We didn't stay long though. Poor thing said she was really tired and didn't feel too good," Amber answered.

Joe exchanged a quick glance with his father before continuing. "You mean the Round Bar? I love that place."

"Yeah, that's the one," she replied. "Great place, but we didn't stay too long at all. An hour tops."

"Well, I hope she's feeling alright," Joe said, feigning sympathy. "But I can't seem to get a hold of her. She's not answering her cell phone and her roommate hasn't seen her. Do you know of any other way I might get in touch with her?"

"Have you tried her personal cell?" Amber asked. "Sometimes she's had enough and won't answer her work cell."

Joe reached over and grabbed a pen while Fenton handed him a sheet of paper. "I don't have that number," he admitted. "Can you give it to me, please?"

"Sure," Amber replied easily. "It's 555-0603. You might want to try calling her sister's house, too. She likes to go over there when she wants to get away from her roommate."

"Thanks," Joe responded. "Would you have that number, as well?"

"Uh-huh, it's 555-3587. I think her sister's name is Angie, but don't hold me too that," Amber informed him.

Joe shot a triumphant grin at his father before returning his attention to the phone. "Thanks so much, Amber. I owe you one."

"Well, I'm sure I can think of some way you can repay me," Amber flirted.

Rolling his eyes, Joe cleared his throat before answering, "We'll talk about it when I get back from my honeymoon."

Amber sighed audibly on the other end. "Such a shame," she drawled. "Need anything else, Joe?"

"No, that should do it," Joe answered. "I'll talk to you later, Amber. Have a good weekend. Bye." Before she could respond, Joe clicked the off button on the phone and glanced at his father, who was already dialing numbers on his cell phone.

"Hey, Con it's me," Fenton said into the receiver. "I've got a lead, and need you to run some phone numbers for me."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

As Frank and Nancy pulled into the short term parking garage of JFK, Frank's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered. His face showed concern as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. "Are you okay?"

Curious, Nancy cocked her head as she listened to Frank's side of the conversation. "What's going on?" she mouthed silently.

In response, Frank handed her his phone and said, "It's Vanessa. She's crying and I can't make out anything she's saying, except that she wants to talk to you."

Confused, Nancy took the phone from Frank and clearly heard Vanessa's sobbing. "Vanessa, it's Nancy. Calm down and tell me what's wrong."

"My dress," she cried almost hysterically, trying to catch her breath through her tears. "It's ruined!"

"What happened?" Nancy asked.

"I… I… took it out of the bag to show my grandmother before we went to the church… and … and … it's in shreds!" Vanessa hiccupped.


	16. Chapter 16: Playing Dress Up

_Author's Note: Thanks for your patience! ;) I didn't want to post chapters earlier, since I wasn't exactly sure where this was headed. Now that I have a clearer vision and have some more written, I feel comfortable posting at least one or two more chapters right now. I won't leave you hanging another year before I update, promise:)_

"Your dress is in shreds?" Nancy echoed, not believing what she had just heard.

"Yes," Vanessa wailed. "I haven't looked at it since the last fitting. This isn't fair! This is supposed to be the happiest day of my life, and I've spent the last twenty-four hours in tears."

"Vanessa, it'll be okay. Just take a deep breath for me, okay?" Nancy instructed her frantic friend.

Taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down, Vanessa replied, "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Nancy answered. "Now, have you called the store where you got your dress to see if there is another one you can get?"

"I bought it here in town, and they're closed today," she replied. "Laura said that you and Frank were going into the city to pick up your dad. Is there anyway you can find me something to wear?"

"We can do that," Nancy answered smoothly. "Just tell some places to check out and we'll head over there as soon as Dad gets in."

As Vanessa rattled off some names of some boutiques she had visited, Nancy scribbled them down on a piece of paper she found in her purse. "Okay, now what size do you wear?"

"I'm a size six," Vanessa replied.

"Okay, that's good," Nancy reassured her. "We're the same size. You're an inch or two taller than me, but hopefully if it fits me, then it will fit you. Just get some safety pins and needle and thread in case we have to make any adjustments. Now tell me what the dress looked like, and I'll find something as close as I can, okay?"

A few minutes later, Nancy hung up the phone with a much calmer Vanessa, and found that Frank had already parked the car and was patiently waiting on her to fill him in.

"So, we're going dress shopping?" Frank surmised.

Nancy sighed, "Looks like it. Poor Vanessa, I feel so bad for her. I just hope that this psycho stalker doesn't have anymore tricks up her sleeve, and the rest of the day will go off without a hitch."

-------------------------------------------------------

"Dad!" Nancy exclaimed, throwing her arms around her father's neck and hugging him tightly.

"Nancy," Carson replied warmly, returning his daughter's welcoming hug.

When Nancy pulled away and returned to Frank's side, Carson smiled at him and stuck out his hand in greeting. "It's been a while, Frank."

"Too long, sir" Frank answered, firmly grasping Carson's hand in his.

"Did you check any bags?" Nancy asked her father.

Carson shook his head no, "I'm a man, Nancy," her father laughed. "I only need an overnight bag for an overnight stay, not two or three like you and Bess."

"Very funny, Dad," Nancy retorted with a smile. "We just have an important stop to make before heading to the church, so I just needed to know if we needed to make a detour to baggage claim before leaving the airport."

"Where to?" Carson asked.

"I have to go pick out a wedding dress," Nancy answered in all seriousness.

Carson looked quizzically back and forth between Nancy and Frank. "Is there something either one of you would like to tell me?"

Frank coughed to cover up a chuckle that threatened to escape from his lips. He refused to say a word, knowing that he couldn't trust his mouth to keep up with his brain.

Before answering her father, Nancy shot Frank a 'keep your mouth shut' look. "We do need to talk about some things later," Nancy admitted cautiously, "but the dress is for Vanessa. She just discovered that hers is ruined."

"Ruined?" Carson echoed.

"It's a long story, Dad," Nancy sighed. "We'll give you all the gory details in the car."

--------------------------------------------------

Checking his watch for the twentieth time, Frank called out to Nancy in the dressing area. "Found anything yet?" The three had been at the salon for over an hour and were running precariously short on time.

"I'm working on it," Nancy called back in exasperation.

The bridal consultant laughed as she finished fastening the buttons on the back of newest dress that Nancy had selected. "Men," she lamented in sympathy with Nancy. "Let them try to get themselves into one of these contraptions they call a dress and see how much patience they have."

"Isn't that the truth," Nancy agreed laughingly. She glanced down at her watch and saw that they didn't have much time left to find a replacement for Vanessa.

"Okay, honey," the consultant said. "All done. You can turn around now."

Glancing at herself in the mirror, Nancy stared at her reflection in shock. None of the other dresses had come as close to perfection as this one had. It wasn't quite what Vanessa had described over the phone, but something about it had just made Nancy grab it when she saw it.

She hadn't shown her father or Frank any of the other choices, but wanted to get their opinion on the dress she seriously thought should be the one to replace Vanessa's ruined one. "What do you think?" Nancy asked softly, as she stepped out of the dressing area.

Both Carson and Frank looked up at the sound of Nancy's voice and the look on both of their faces was practically identical – one of pure adoration and love.

"My little girl's all grown up," Carson muttered, just barely audible.

"You look amazing," Frank managed to finally say.

Glancing at her reflection in the three way mirror, Nancy unconsciously smoothed the skirt of the dress with her hands. "It's not exactly what she described," she admitted, "but I think she'll love it."

------------------------------------------

"Well, we've got good news, and bad news," Fenton informed his wife and youngest son, shortly after hanging up the phone.

"Start with the good," Joe told his father wryly. "I'm not sure how much more of the bad news I can take at this point."

"According to Con," Fenton began. "The good news is that they sent a patrol car to both Sheila's house, as well as her sisters. They didn't find her at either place, but her sister admitted to Sheila spending the night there last night and then leaving early this morning."

"And the bad news is they can't find her?" Joe probed.

"I wish it was only that simple," Fenton answered. He looked at the expectant faces of his wife and some before continuing, "The bad news is that Sheila's sister let the police search the house, and in doing so, they discovered some remnants of items used to make crude explosive devices."

As the information sunk in, Joe shook his head in disbelief. "As if everything she's done so far isn't torture enough, now she wants to blow us up, too?" he shouted at the ceiling.

Laura gasped at her husband's words. Today was supposed to be a joyous occasion – not one she ever imagined spending being gripped in fear. "Fenton?" she questioned softly.

Fenton turned to his wife to comfort her. "Con's sending a team over to both the church and the reception site as we speak. The bomb squad and dogs are going to search every square inch of that place before I let any of us step foot in it." The last remark was pointed directly at Joe.

Joe sank back on the couch, and put his head in his hands. "What if it's not that simple, Dad?" he questioned softly. His snapped back up, blue eyes flashing with intensity, as he began firing off question after question. "What if it's not anywhere on or in the building already? What if the bomb is smuggled in some how during the ceremony or reception? What if she planted it on our limousine?"

Fenton and Laura cast a worried look at each other before answering their son. "Joe – I promise you that we will comb over _everything_ _and everyone_ that comes anywhere near the wedding. I'm sure Con won't mind keeping the dogs and their handlers around to sniff out any potential problems before, during, and after the affair," Fenton said firmly.

"Trust your father and the police, Joe," Laura told him. "They wouldn't do anything to put you, Vanessa, or any of our family and friends in the slightest bit of danger."

Taking a deep breath calmed Joe's nerves only slightly. "It's not Dad and Con I don't trust," Joe replied evenly. "It's the psycho that's out to ruin my life."


	17. Chapter 17: Not Again

**Author's Notes: Okay, so I lied the last time I updated. I promised I wouldn't wait an entire year between updates. But apparently, it took me over a year (1 year and 4 months to be exact), to update this. I was reading back through the story tonight and noticed that I originally posted in this in 2004. My God, where has the time gone? **

**I will say that this is still a work in progress - but there are probably one or two more chapters ready for posting after this one. I'm still struggling with some plot points, and I hope to get them tweaked pretty soon. But, i've learned my lesson - no more promises about updates. Just be happy when I make them! :) **

**As always, thanks for your continued support of this story! **

* * *

"Thank God, you made it!" Vanessa cried, flinging the front door of her mother's house open to greet Nancy and Frank.

"We brought you a little a something," Nancy smiled. She gestured to Frank who held the heavy white garment bag over his shoulder.

Vanessa bit her lip nervously. "Is it close?"

Nancy lifted her shoulders slightly. "It's not exactly what you described, but Van, it's absolutely stunning," she promised the nervous bride.

"She's right," Frank agreed. "You're going to make a beautiful bride in this gown."

He transferred the bag to Vanessa's outstretched arms. Seeing the look of apprehension still etched across his future sister in law's face, he kissed her on the cheek. "Trust us, Van. You're going to knock my brother's socks off when he sees you walking down the aisle."

Nancy laughed lightly. "It's true." She leaned in conspiratorially to Vanessa and whispered. "It knocked Frank clear off his feet when he saw me in it."

A light blush crept across Frank's cheeks. "And on that note ladies, I have to get Mr. Drew and I back to house to get ready before we leave for the church."

The two girls laughed at Frank's uncomfortable reaction. The tense mood broken, Vanessa grinned at Frank. "Thanks," she said sincerely. She reached up and gave him a warm hug. "Tell Joe I'll see him soon, and that I love him."

"Will do," Frank answered. He gave Nancy a quick kiss and Vanessa a friendly wave, before leaving the two girls alone on the porch.

After Frank and her father had driven away, Nancy turned to Vanessa. "Well, what are we waiting for?" She smiled as she pointed to Vanessa's long dark hair pinned up in curlers. "C'mon – let's get you out of those curlers and into this dress. You have a wedding to attend."

* * *

"Sorry about the detour, Mr. Drew," Frank apologized to Nancy's father as they made the short trip across town.

"Call me Carson, please," he insisted. "And it's no bother, Frank. I just hope that the wedding will go off without incident."

"You and me both," Frank answered truthfully. "The last few days have been a little much."

Carson shook his head as he recalled the details that Nancy and Frank had given him during the car ride back to Bayport. "Does Joe have any idea at all what has spurred this sudden attack from this Ms. Matthews?"

"Other than the fact that my brother is a natural flirt, no," Frank replied. "But like Joe told the police chief the other day, his heart belongs to Vanessa. He may flirt to get his way, but that's as far as it goes. He's matured a lot in the last year and can't wait to settle down with Vanessa and start a family."

Carson nodded at Frank's words. Deciding to lighten the mood, and give his daughter's boyfriend a little bit of a hard time, Carson turned to Frank. "Speaking of settling down," he began. "You said that there was something you wanted to discuss with me this weekend?"

Frank swallowed audibly at Mr. Drew's question. There was no way he was going to let the cat out of the bag this time. Especially not when he was trapped within the confines of a moving vehicle with Nancy's father. Casting a quick glance at Carson, he turned his attention back to the road. "I'm not trying to put you off, sir. But, Nancy and I wanted to talk to you together."

Carson raised his eyebrows at Frank's statement. "Have you asked my daughter to marry you?"

"No, sir," came Frank's immediate answer. He grinned sheepishly at the

thought. "Not yet, anyway," he continued.

Carson smiled at the look on the young man's face. Even without hearing Frank say the words 'not yet', he knew that Frank and Nancy made quite a couple. He made her happy and that's all mattered to him. "Not yet?" he inquired in his best lawyer tone.

"No, sir, not yet. Before I asked her, I would want your permission first," Frank answered truthfully.

"That's very noble of you, son," Carson told Frank. Deciding not to press the matter, he said, "Well whatever it is you need to talk to me about, I'm sure it will keep until after the wedding."

Frank nodded silently, saying a thankful prayer that Mr. Drew hadn't interrogated him further. Now, he just had to make it through the rest of the afternoon without slipping up and they would be home free. Or at least he hoped.

* * *

"Fenton, are you sure that Con and his team have made a full sweep?" Laura asked her husband worriedly as they pulled to a stop in the church parking lot.

"Positive." Fenton answered assuredly. His eyes met his youngest sons in the rearview mirror. "Joe – you okay back there?"

Joe nodded as he met his father's gaze. 'This is it,' he thought, 'an hour from now Van and I will be married.' As excited as he was at the prospect, he couldn't keep the nagging worries out of his mind. "I'm fine, Dad," Joe replied, with more confidence than he actually felt. "Let's do this," he grinned, opening the door and stepping out into the bright sunshine.

He glanced around the parking lot that was brimming with vehicles. Joe shook his head when he realized that the number of marked police cars outweighed the number of regular vehicles more than two to one. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Not changing your mind are you, kiddo?" Frank grinned.

"Not a chance," Joe answered. "I just wish we didn't have to deal with this today." His hand made a sweeping gesture towards the fleet of police cars.

Frank nodded his head sympathetically. "Dad says Con has made a full sweep and they've found nothing. Nancy's in the bridal room with Vanessa and said she's keeping an eye out, but so far there's nothing out of the ordinary."

Joe sighed and he rubbed a hand across his weary face. "It's the so far part that worries me, Frank," he admitted honestly.

Placing his hands on both of Joe's shoulders, Frank looked his younger brother straight in the eyes. "Stop it," he ordered. "You can't let all of this stop you from enjoying one of the happiest days of your life. You've got to be strong for Vanessa."

At the mention of Vanessa's name, Joe's eyes lit up. "Yeah," he whispered softly.

"You two ready?" Fenton asked, approaching his sons.

Deciding to trust his father and all of the law enforcement officers on the church grounds, Joe threw an arm around his father and brother each and said with a reassuring laugh, "Let's go make me an old married man."

* * *

Nancy left the brides room and checked in briefly with Con. After a quick reassurance that everything was under control Nancy headed towards the lobby to find her father and Frank's parents.

She spotted Laura at the entrance of the auditorium watching Joe, Frank, and Fenton pose for pictures at the tastefully decorated altar. "They make quite a handsome lot, don't they?" Nancy grinned as she joined Laura.

"My men," Laura beamed with pride as the photographer took shot after shot.

"I still can't believe Joe's getting married first," Nancy laughed. "Who ever would've thought that the Don Juan of Bayport would be the first to settle down?"

Laura laughed lightly at Nancy's comment. "I wouldn't have thought Joe to be the first of my boys to do this," she agreed. Giving Nancy a smile to reassure her that she was only teasing, she continued, "but then again, I never thought that my level headed Frank would be the first to make me grandmother, either."

Nancy blushed as she took in Laura's words. "Neither did I," Nancy replied, pleased at the way she and Laura were able to talk about it. "But you know that despite the circumstances, you're happy that Frank and I are making you a grandmother."

Before Laura could respond, a deep voice behind them replied, "So, that's what the two of you wanted to talk to me about."


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Notes: **

** Two updates in the span of 30 days, I am on fire! :) **

**So the plot bunnies hit, and I've been pounding out pages. Still trying to tweak some details. I don't want this story to go on forever, but I don't want to end it too quickly, either. It's such a delicate balance, and my muse is of no help whatsoever at this point. **

**I hope you all enjoy, and yes, I'll go ahead and say it for you all: I know I'm absolutely EVIL for ending this chapter where I did.**

**Enjoy!**

Shutting her eyes in horror at the sound of her father's voice, Nancy was frozen in place. "Dad?" she asked softly, unwilling to believe that once again their secret had been found out. And this time, she only had herself, not Frank, to blame.

"Dad," Carson answered as evenly as possible. "Or should I get used to being called Granddad?"

Laura reached out and gave Nancy's hand a reassuring squeeze before turning around to speak to her husband's old friend. "Carson, this isn't the time or place," she gently reminded him.

"How long have you and Fenton known, Laura?" Nancy shuddered at the tone of her father's voice. Upset and shocked weren't even the beginning of how she would describe it.

Taking a deep breath, Nancy steeled herself and turned towards her father. "Only since yesterday," she answered for Laura. "Dad, please, let's not have this conversation right now," she implored.

Carson didn't answer immediately. He gave his daughter a steely once over. At the crushed look on her face, he caved into her request. "Fine," he replied in a short clipped tone, letting her know how upset he was. "We'll table the topic until a more appropriate time. However, do not think that for a minute the news is sitting well with me."

Nancy gulped audibly. She had known out everyone involved that her father was going to be the one to take the news the hardest. "Thank you," she whispered as her eyes filled with tears at the look of disappointment on her father's face. Deciding it was best to extricate herself from the situation before the tears began to flow, she said, "Excuse me," and dashed past Laura and her father in search of the nearest private area.

Taking Carson by the arm, Laura escorted him out through the lobby and through a side door to the outside where they could talk in private. "I know it comes as shock," she began. "Fenton and I were disappointed too, Carson."

"Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe it," he answered honestly. Still reeling from the news, Carson shook his head. "And to find out the way I did."

Laura laughed at his statement. At the quizzical look on his face Laura filled him in. "You're not the only one who found out by accident. Honestly, Nancy's the only one who didn't find out in some crazy way." She quickly told Carson the way that everyone, including Frank, had found out, and by the time she was finished with the story, she saw a hint of a smile cross his face.

"So that's why Frank was so tight lipped during the car ride to your house," he surmised. "And I thought I was just being the intimidating father by grilling him about his intentions with my daughter."

"Oh my," Laura laughed. "It's a wonder Frank survived the car ride!" Turning serious she looked pointedly at the distinguished man in front of her. "Fenton and I raised our sons to know better, just as you did Nancy. But what's done is done. Carson, those two are crazy about each other. You know as well as I do, it was just a matter of time before they decided to get married and start a family."

"That's the route I would've preferred them to take," Carson replied.

"Us, too," Laura agreed. "But we can't change it, we can only accept it. Don't punish them for what happened. They are adults, as much as we don't like to admit it."

A wry look passed over Carson's face. "That's the problem, Laura. I still see Nancy as my little girl."

* * *

Drying her eyes, Nancy stepped out of the restroom and made her way to the front door of the church. In desperate need of fresh air, she made her way through the throngs of arriving guests towards the front steps.

She watched as the guests were dumbstruck at the heavy police presence at the front of the building. 'It is rather odd,' she thought to herself. 'But since when have the Hardy's done anything that was normal?'

Nancy was surveying the guest's reactions when she spotted a vaguely familiar young woman making her way up the steps. Analyzing the woman with long red hair as discretely as possible, Nancy eyed her carefully. The police had her picture, so surely even in disguise there was no way that she would've gotten past them.

Her worst fears were confirmed when the young woman uttered a soft "Excuse me," as she squeezed past Nancy. Nancy was sure that the person she was looking at was none other than Sheila Duval.

"I'm sorry," Nancy said calmly, as she stepped out of the young woman's way. Nancy gave no indication whatsoever that she recognized the person in front of her.

As soon as Shelia disappeared behind the heavy oak doors, Nancy pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed Frank's number. Swearing inwardly when it went to voicemail, she scanned the police officers in front of her looking for Con.

Taking a deep breath, Nancy counted to ten before re-entering the church. She had to be as discreet as possible as to avoid attracting Sheila's attention. Nancy scanned the crowd milling about and quickly zeroed in one Sheila's location. Memorizing her appearance, Nancy filed away the information as she went in search of someone to help her.

She knew that Frank, Joe, and Fenton were still inside the sanctuary taking the last round of pictures. She ducked into a side hallway and strode quickly towards the back entrance to the sanctuary. Bursting through the doors, Nancy was startled to find the area empty. "What in the…?" she muttered to herself. "Where did they go?"

Making her way across the room, she re-emerged into another small hallway. She followed the sounds of excited male voices and found the groom's room with no problem.

Knocking once, Nancy opened the door without invitation. Joe was adjusting his tux and smiling at his reflection in the mirror as his groomsmen gathered around wishing him good luck. Frank stood to his right and smiled when he saw Nancy in the doorway. His smile faded though, when he saw the intense look on her face.

She beckoned him out into the hallway and he quickly excused himself to join her. "What's wrong?" he asked her immediately, as soon as the door was shut.

"Where's Con?" Nancy asked urgently.

"Why? What happened?" he tried once more.

Nancy sighed exasperatedly. "She's here, Frank."

"What? How?" came Frank's shocked reply.

"I don't know, and I don't care," she told him. "But we've got to get her out of here, now!"

"What's going on?" Fenton asked as he stepped out in the hallway to join Frank and Nancy.

"She's here," they chorused in unison at Fenton's question.

"She's here?" Fenton echoed.

Nancy nodded. "She walked past me when I stepped outside. I wasn't sure at first, but she said 'excuse me' when she passed by me and I recognized her voice."

"Did you see Con anywhere?" Fenton questioned.

Shaking her head no, she said, "No, that's when I came looking for you guys. "

"Okay, Frank you stay here with Joe. Nancy, come help me find Con," Fenton instructed.

"No way, Dad," Frank replied heatedly. "I'm going to be there to take her down."

"No, you're not," Fenton argued. "And neither is Nancy," he said giving both of them a pointed look. "You need to stay here with your brother so he doesn't suspect anything. We don't need him any more worried than he is. Nancy's going to give Con a description and then she's joining your mother."

Both Frank and Nancy opened their mouths to speak, but Fenton silenced them with a steely look. "End of discussion. Let's go, Nancy."

Frank reached out and squeezed Nancy's hand before she turned to follow Fenton down the hallway. "Be careful," he whispered.

Nancy nodded silently before she took off after Fenton. She said a silent prayer that this whole ordeal would be over before anyone realized something was wrong.

* * *

"This is it," Vanessa said, giving her mother a tearful smile. Callie, and the rest of her bridesmaids had left the room to take pictures with the groomsmen, and she was now alone with her mother.

Andrea Bender hugged her daughter tightly. "My little girl is all grown up," she said through tear filled eyes.

"Stop," Vanessa whispered. "If you start crying, then so will I, and I'll have to redo my make-up."

Andrea laughed lightly as her daughter tried to calm the emotions that were overwhelming the both of them. Dabbing at the corner of her eyes with a tissue, she told Vanessa, "You look amazing, baby."

A knock on the door interrupted the special mother-daughter moment. The door opened before Vanessa or Andrea could offer an invitation and a young woman about Vanessa's age and build stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Can I help you?" Andrea asked warily. She unconsciously stepped in front of her daughter, shielding her from this uninvited stranger.

"Pastor Simmons sent me to let you know that you've got about fifteen minutes before the ceremony. Oh, and the coordinator is looking for you," the young woman smiled towards Andrea.

Relaxing visibly, Andrea turned to her daughter. "You ready?"

"Go on," Vanessa urged her mother. "I just need to touch up my makeup and I'll join you."

"Good luck, honey," Andrea said, hugging Vanessa one last time.

Andrea opened the door and left the young woman alone with Vanessa.

"Are you scared?" the stranger asked Vanessa in a friendly tone.

"Not at all," Vanessa answered honestly. She turned to face her reflection in the mirror once more. "I'm marrying the love of my life. There's nothing scary about that."

The friendly tone of the young woman turned to one of steel. "He's the love of my life, and you're not marrying him today."

Vanessa's blood ran cold as she listened to the stranger's words. She turned to confront her enemy and came face to face with the end of a gun.

She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, the young woman fiercely swung the pistol at her temple and Vanessa's world faded quickly to black.

* * *

**TBC...**


End file.
